Cure the Senses
by Dru
Summary: Jack, Owen and Ianto are affected by an Alien Device that turns their worlds upside down, and brings them closer together.
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: Blatant stealing of ideas from the Sentinel, and m/m (oh come on it's torchwood!) implications of m/m/m (if Jack has his way)

"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul." by Oscar Wilde

-

Ianto glanced at his watch as he descended the stairs into the hub. 20 past 6. He made his way over to the couch where Tosh and Gwen sat and handed them each a mug of coffee, topped off with Baileys. He was waiting for Jack and Owen to come back from routine artifact retrieval; one that Jack had insisted only required two people.

Lately the higher ups had been using Jack as a fetch and carry boy, retrieving random bits of technology that Torchwood had scattered about over the years. Jack didn't seem to mind the trips, as long as was allowed to drag Owen along.

Which usually left him pulling long nights, waiting for them to come back. Ianto wasn't sure why the two women were still here though. He smiled as Tosh took a sip of coffee and raised her eyebrow.

"After five. I think we're entitled." He explained.

"Thanks Ianto. You're a love. Come on, sit with us. Jack and Owen are still out then? We can have a fun little chat while we wait, just us." Gwen coaxed with a smile. Gwen always tried oftly hard to include Ianto, having decided that the poor tea boy was neglected, never mind how much the "tea boy" protested the idea.

Ianto briefly thought about the pile of paperwork that was starting to teeter on Jack's desk, but instead gave the girls a answering nod and took his own mug, sitting in a ratty chair that Jack had drug in long before Ianto's time. It always made Ianto itch to sit in it.

Tosh grinned and leaned forward. "So...speaking of Jack and Owen. Do you think they're..."

"Adults? Yes. Which means it's none of our concern." Ianto interrupted, giving the woman a disapproving look.

"Awww come on, Ianto live a little. Gossip is the life blood of a office!"

"I thought it was coffee." Ianto countered.

"Coffee and gossip" Gwen assured.

"And pastries?"

"Quit stalling Ianto." Tosh demanded lightly, grinning. "So are they?"

"How should I know?"

"Well you did-" Tosh fought for the proper word.

"Sleep with them?" Ianto spared her the embarrassment, though he himself felt a hint of it. How did he always find himself in these conversations? It wasn't like they didn't know. His relationship with Jack, before the other man had left, had been blatantly obvious. And Owen's attempts at a drunken blowjob in front of both Tosh and Gwen had somewhat spoiled his efforts of keeping his short lived affair with Owen a secret

"That doesn't mean they come running to me to share their latest sexual exploits." Ianto reasoned. Though Jack had tried, thinking it made for interesting conversation during tea breaks.

"I honestly don't know." He lied.

Gwen broke the awkward silence. "They _are_ shagging. I walked in on them in the cells last week."

Ianto twitched.

"What's wrong?" Tosh asked, leaning even farther forwards to put a concerned hand on his arm.

"Have you been in the cells lately? They're absolutely filthy."

"Yeah I know, why do you think I used to refuse- Uh..." Gwen suddenly found her coffee fascinating.

Tosh snickered into her coffee, and Ianto hid his own smile behind his cup. Gwen and Owen's affair hadn't been exactly a secret either, while it lasted.

"I knew they were shagging." Tosh threw herself back into the original conversation. "Well I was nearly sure of it. CCTV footage has started disappearing again."

Ianto lifted an eyebrow. "And your first thought was 'I wonder if my office mates are having sex on the clock'?"

"No! I checked to see who was last seen coming-" Tosh ignored a snicker from Gwen. "-Or going in the area. I saw a pattern after awhile, and put two and two together."

"Good work, Detective Sato. And now that the mystery is solved," Ianto pulled himself up and drained his mug. "I think I'll go and see what's taking them so long."

Gwen stilled him with a hand on his wrist, while she swallowed the last of her own coffee

"Though why they bother to delete the footage I don't know." She wondered out loud. "They're both such exhibitionists."

Ianto took her empty cup and Tosh's as well and made for the stairs.

"Perhaps" He turned and smirked, "They're planning a DVD release. Wouldn't do to have the footage leaked on YouTube before the premier."

---

Owen landed against the side of the SUV with a loud thump, wincing only slightly as his head connected with the window. Jack was pressing him against the door, his fingers knotted in Owen's hair, and his erection rubbing against his thigh. Jack pulled the doctor into a fierce, hungry kiss.

Owen pulled away, turning his attentions to the captain's neck.

"You know." He punctuated each word with a small suck or bite. "We should probably get back." Hit bit down hard on the base of Jack's throat, causing Jack to buck against him, and push him harder against the door.

Jack shrugged. "Since when are you the responsible one? We got the alien device; we're heading back to the hub in a minute. Just taking a short break." Jack worked his hands under Owen's shirt, sliding them over ribs and ticklish sides. Owen jerked. He regretted letting Jack know exactly where that sensitive spot was.

"Point." Owen admitted and threaded his own hand up into Jack's hair pulling him in again for another kiss.

When they separated again Jack sighed, bumping his head lightly against Owen's, in a, the doctor could only assume, loving gesture. It was one off Jack's quirks. "We should get going. Gotta get this thing back, and figure out what it is."

Jack reluctantly pulled his hands away. "I hate having to be the boss."

Owen smirked and ran a hand though his hair, making a bigger mess of it. "Why do you think I was to thrilled to hand power back over to you when you got back? Being boss sucks arse." Owen pulled him back in for one last kiss.

Owen opened the door and slid in, only to find himself with a lap full of Harkness.

"I thought you said we had to go." Owen was already working at Jack's belt buckle.

"I lied." Jack smirked, tugging off his own shirt.

"Bit cramped though." Owen yanked the belt through the loops and tossed it carelessly to the side.

"So?"

"Sir." A reprimanding Welsh voice came over the SUV's internal comm. Jack jumped, and Owen swatted at the controls, trying to turn it off, but not quite able to reach.

"Sir," Ianto repeated. "Some of us would like to get some actual work done today, if you don't mind."

"How the hell does he do that?" Owen hissed.

"There's a camera installed in the dash. Next time I'd suggest covering it if you want privacy." Ianto gave a put-upon sigh. "Could you at least bring the artifact back to the hub? I have to catalogue it, and I'd like to get home at a decent hour for once."

Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Ianto's voice cut him off.

"I'm fairly sure you can find a quiet corner in the hub to resume your….activities."

Owen snarled. "Fucking cock block." The tea boy always managed to spoil their fun.

Jack shot Owen a brief glare, tinged with amusement. "Sorry Ianto. We're heading back now. Should be there in an hour or so." He disabled the comm, and climbed over Owen, sliding into the driver's seat. He picked up his shirt and pulled it on over his head.

"He could hear that you know." Jack said as he started the engine and pulled back on the road, slightly disapproving.

"I've said as much to his face." Owen groused, and propped his feet on the dash, covering the camera. Knowing Ianto he could probably read lips.

"Just be thankful he doesn't make an official report like he's supposed to, every time he catches us."

"You know, maybe Ianto wouldn't be so pissy if he was actually getting some."

"Wanna take him on the pull?" Jack asked, only half seriously.

"Could do that. Or we could just have him." Owen snickered. "You can't exactly block your own cock can you?" It was worth a shot, and Ianto had been spectacular shag that few times Owen could get it.

"Hmm". Jack wore a look of concentration, and not a little lust. "Though you do realise he'll put arsenic in your coffee if you suggest it right?"

"Figures. You could probably get away with it though." Owen flipped down the visor as he talked, straightening his hair in the little mirror.

Jack raised an eyebrow, a smile firmly on his face.

"Oh don't tell me you haven't noticed him following you around with those big sad cow eyes."

Owen could never figure Ianto out. The man had kicked Jack, Captain Jack 'Do aliens count' Harkness for Christ's sake, out of his bed. After Jack returned of course. Kicked him out, took back his key, like Jack didn't have copies, and told him in no uncertain terms to fuck off, all the while watching the captain like a twelve year old with a crush on his maths teacher.

Owen was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped as slightly as Jack's hand slid between his thighs.

"Don't worry." Jack said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Stay over tonight and I'll make up for the failed attempt."

Owen smirked, and let his foot drop away from the camera as he spread his legs further, giving Jack better access.

Let the tea boy watch.


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto glanced up from the signature he was forging on an expense report as his computer chimed. He had moved into the Tourists Information Office after bundling Gwen and Tosh into their taxis.

It was quieter above ground, and now that he had brought in an old café stool he had an actual desk, however cluttered with out of date brochures it might be. His one request for a desk in the main hub had been granted, but Ianto had never gotten around to bullying Jack into following through with his promise. Then Jack had died, risen on the third day (it was far enough removed that they could joke about it now.) left, and came back. After all that Ianto changed his mind about the desk, and Jack had never mentioned it again.

The computer chimed, louder than before, alerting him to movement on the CCTV camera that covered the garage. He pushed aside his small stack of papers and focused on the video feeds he had up.

He had been resolutely ignoring them after he realised the show that Owen was putting on in the SUV. He had no interest in watching honestly. He had kept the screen up and glanced at it occasionally to make sure they weren't upside down in a ditch. But a quick look showed a now empty car seat. At least they made it back safely.

Ianto turned his attention to the garage's CCTV and watched as Jack and Owen climbed out of the SUV and made their way to the back. Jack grabbed the smaller man, pulling him to another kiss

Ianto felt a pang of irrational jealousy. He'd had feeling for Jack for a while. 'Still do!' an obnoxious, but mostly correct side of him added. Of course Jack was...Jack. Everyone who met him wanted him. And he wanted nearly everyone in return. Jack had set his sights on the innocent tea boy in the neatly pressed suit, but settled for Ianto instead.

But Ianto had made a rather stupid mistake by falling ass over teakettle for their captain. The time traveller who considered love just another quaint 21st century label.

Then Jack had disappeared for months and none of it really mattered. Owen had been there, and been someone Ianto wasn't the least bit interested in falling for. So they had shagged, and gone for drinks, and occasionally when they were drunk enough, or exhausted enough they had lounged around and watched bad movies together. He cared for Owen still, he supposed. In some odd way.

But now Jack was back. And Ianto had put his foot down. So Jack changed him out, like linens after a long trip. He was with Owen, and life continued on, with Ianto dodging the occasional invitation back into Jack's bed, and the daily bits of flirting that was as natural to the man as breathing

Jack and Owen. Sluts. Their own drunken words not his. They were both willing to shag anything, and seemed to go perfectly with each other.

And Ianto was left on the outside; hiding his jealousy, and convincing himself he had made the right choice.

He scrubbed a hand over tired eyes and went back to his paperwork, putting a particularly large flourish at the end of Jack's name. He didn't even look up as Owen slung himself into the office, bells jangling loudly against the door.

"Ianto! Missions successful. We got the artifact. But it's a heavy bastard. We barely got it in the SUV."

'Good' Ianto thought. It wouldn't kill either of them to work occasionally

"Come on then. Shift your lazy arse and help us move it."

"Paperwork." Ianto pointed out reasonably, gesturing to the pile.

"Boss's orders." Owen growled in return.

Ianto had to grin. Owen was always pissy when he was denied his simple pleasures. "Feeling a bit frustrated?"

"Yeah, but at least my problem will be fixed soon. I don't have to get my jollies playing voyeur with my ex-s" Owen ducked around Ianto, and smirked as he saw the empty car seats on Ianto's computer. "Perv."

Ianto simply raised an eyebrow, as he stood up, taking his time stretching the kink out of his back. He pulled on his coat and headed for the garage, Owen trailing him. "Just so you know." He mentioned casually. "I refuse to tweak the insurance report when you have a sex related car crash."

"Oooh someone's jeeeealous!" Owen singsonged with a grin.

"Of your future Darwin prize? Death by road head isn't exactly a prestigious way to end it all." Ianto said.

"Point." Owen conceded and then grinned. "You know I'm a doctor. I could probably help you with that stick up your arse."

"I doubt any offer you make regarding my arse is out of any sort of professional concern. I'll take care of it myself if you don't mind."

"Well we all know you're the only one who is."

"Oh fuck off Owen." Ianto said abruptly, tired and impatient.

Owen stopped walking, blinked and grinned, before running to catch up. Ianto sighed to himself. He had hoped Owen would just shut up.

"You know, I don't think I've heard you use that word outside the bedroom. 'Course then it was mostly 'Oh fuck _me_ Owen'." Owen said the last mockingly in a high falsetto and leered at the younger man.

It was times like this that Ianto had to remember that there was some reason he hadn't throttled the other man yet. He had quite liked him once. At the moment Ianto couldn't think of single thing.

"Are you through yet?" Ianto asked.

"Maybe. Why?"

"Because I'd hate to kill you." Ianto answered, face carefully blank.

Owen responded immediately, catching the paraphrased quote. "I'd hate to die."

They grinned briefly at each other; despite the fact that there was still an outside chance the conversation would end in a brawl.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack leaned against the back of the SUV, ankles crossed and hands shoved in his pockets, as he watched Ianto and Owen approach the open garage door. They alternated between glowering and grinning fast enough to make Jack's head spin. Both could change moods at the drop of a hat, especially around each other. Jack often wondered what made the two men's relationship so volatile.

He caught the tail end of their conversation, and smiled. Crisis averted for the moment.

"If you two are finished bonding over 80's pop culture." Jack interrupted as they approached, "we should probably get this inside." He swung open the tailgate and then caught Ianto's wrist as the Welshman stepped forward to look inside.

"Sorry about before. Didn't mean to keep you waiting, we were just having a little break after heaving this thing into the trunk." Jack didn't feel particularly sorry, though he did feel bad for making Ianto stay late again. Maybe he could convince the younger man to stay for a beer or two after the artifact was put away.

"Quite alright, Sir. I was working anyway." Ianto said smoothly and Jack winced. The accusation that Ianto had been the _only_ one working was implicit.

Ianto had leaned over, fingers hovering over the large artifact, fingers not quite touching, and Jack took a moment to truly study it. They had been hurrying in the field before they had gotten distracted, and Jack hadn't put much thought into it besides figuring out if it was potentially harmful. There had been no readings at all from it so they just slung it the back. That technique was probably going to get them killed one day, but so far, so good.

It was large, about 2 meters long and 1 wide, tapering off slightly towards one end. It looked vaguely like a very squished, very silver egg. From Outer Space. Well Torchwood, whatever. It seemed so much cooler when you said Outer Space. That's where they probably got it from. Owen stepped over as well, sliding up behind Jack, and leaning over to look at the object.

"Is it safe?" Ianto asked, fingers inching closer, drawn to a small green glyph on the small end of the "egg".

"Should be. None of the sensors beeped anyway." Jack watches as Ianto's fingers brushed the strange script, slowly and cautiously. He remembered that touch on himself, and bit his lip, resisting the urge to simply grab the younger man and kiss him senseless. Ianto asked for space, and that's what Jack was going to give him, even if he exploded in the process.

"What do you think it is? You're mister know it all when it comes to alien artifacts. Any ideas?" Owen asked in his ear while leaning against his back.

"Dunno. Never seen anything like this before. Of course it's a big universe, and trillions of years. There's a lot I haven't seen."

Owen thought for a second. "Ever seen an elephant fly?"

"No but I saw a front porch swing." Jack offered.

"And heard a diamond ring?" Owen asked, a grin in his voice.

Ianto snorted.

Jack turned his attention back to the device.

There was something about it.

"Hold on a minute." He leaned over the artifact, arching carefully to avoid touching it, though it didn't seem to be harming Ianto. He snagged the bag of equipment and rooted through it, scanning the egg with each piece of technology as he pulled it out, showing the results to the two other men. Still the same. For all the scanners knew it was just some hunk of metal. Jack would feel rather stupid, he decided distractedly, if it turned out to be some type of statuary.

"See. Perfectly fine." He pointed to Ianto, who was distractedly brushing the green glyph. "He's still alive anyway."

"Great. Wonderful scientific test there. Let's let the tea boy touch it and see what happens." Owen groused from behind Jack.

Jack grinned and gave the egg a brief pat. "Perfectly fine" he repeated

But still, some small part of his brain was sounding alarms, He wasn't sure if it was the artifact itself, or the way Ianto was caressing the cold metal, or the warm heavy heat of Owen at his back, or even the stray desire to dig up an old CCTV of Owen and Ianto together.

Jack shook his head to clear it and pushed Owen off gently, steering him to the other side of Ianto.

"There's some indentations under the glyphs." He pointed at the green one, and then a long stretched blue one on the other end. "It looks like handholds maybe."

Ianto looked up, and gave a little questioning hum, eyes drawn back to the green.

"Just grab the handles, Ianto."

Ianto did so and slowly they inched it out, Jack and Owen scrabbled on the slick shiny service, trying to support it's weight until they could reach the handles. Owen grabbed his first, shifting some of the weight so Jack could slide his own fingers into the indention.

As soon as his fingertips touched the metal of the handle they began to tingle, and a loud buzz filled his ears. His head shot up to see twin looks of horror on Ianto and Owen's faces, and he could feel it mirrored on his own.

The buzz turned into a roar and lightening raced up Jack's arms and though his nerves. It felt, he thought distractedly, quite like the few times he'd been electrocuted. He wasn't positive, but he thought he heard screaming, though he was fairly sure it wasn't him. He felt like every nerve ending was on fire, sharp and clear, while his mind felt muddled. All this in less then a second, and then everything erupted into a brilliant white light before he hit the ground.

---

Jack came back to his senses and groaned, feeling his body throb and twitch with the aftershocks. "Ow. What, the hell, was that?" He slowly rolled over and pushed himself up, wincing as palms dug into the rough ground.

He looked for the other two men. He could just barely make out Owen, lying on the ground and rubbing at his eyes. Ianto was kneeling and looking shell-shocked.

"I don't fucking know." Owen answered, before slipping into doctor mode. "How do you feel? Any damage? Any new arms sprouting or anything?"

Jack reviewed him self, checking for anything new. He resisted the temptation to peek under his boxers, and settled for just hoping nothing was mixed up down there. "Headache?" he finally said, uncertainly.

Owen grunted, which Jack to mean he thought the captain would live. "Yan?"

Ianto stood up, and swayed, stumbling before righting himself "I seem to be…undamaged." he chose the last word carefully.

"What are you a fucking Borg?" Owen demanded, and Jack snickered at the decidedly grumpy tone.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. Dull headache, and it sounds like you're underwater, but nothing to complain about."

"Well I feel like I've been stabbed in the eyes." Owen accept the hand up from Ianto, grabbing on to his elbow as the Welshman overbalanced.

"Call Tosh and Gwen" he continued. "And have them get up here to guard this thing. I need to check us out to see if it fried our   
brains, before we get some protective gear and try to touch it again."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Aren't I boss again?"

"Shut up, medical out ranks you when our health depends on it."

"Only in Star Trek." Ianto muttered under his breath, earning a death glare from Owen.

Jack rolled his eyes and lifted his hips to reach the mobile in his back pocket. He refused to stand up before it was absolutely   
necessary. The cold of the cement was starting to seep into his back, and it helped the lingering ache. He hit the standard alarm that would have the missing team members at the hub within minutes. After a moments though he sent out a text. "In the garage. Still breathing. No rush."

Jack turned his head to see Owen still clutching Ianto's elbow, and he wondered who was holding whom up.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto sat in a swivel chair in the autopsy bay, bare feet tucked under him, and played with the buttons on his open shirt. His head had stopped swimming long before Owen's tests had come to an end, and now he just felt bored. Though other feelings were niggling at the very edge of his brain, he ignored them, deciding to sort them out later. He also decided to ignore the fact that he was shaking. It was very slight.

Jack had passed his tests too. Ianto had noticed there was a lot more groping than strictly professionally necessary. He was also missing his shoes, but had his shirt buttoned, braces hanging off his belt.

Now Owen was subjecting himself to the same treatment. He had done every medical test known to man, and quite a few that were not. What he couldn't do to him self, he had Jack do. The captain seemed to be happy to comply.

Ianto tried to ignore them, yawning and sinking into the chair as the other two men turned medical testing into foreplay.

"You know I've always loved playing doctor." Jack said casually with a leer as he tapped at the keyboard running the last scan for the evening. Owen was stretched out on the autopsy table, arm thrown over his eyes to block the bright light above them.

"It's hitting computer keys. You're not exactly performing a pelvic exam here."

Jack's smile transformed into a truly filthy grin. "I could if you want...I could go get the Alvorix gender changer..."

"Yeah you keep thinking that, luv. I find any parts gone, and you're never getting in my pants again." Owen warned.

"Don't know what you're missing. I had the most amazing set of-"

The computer whined, drowning out the rest of the sentence, and Jack winced at the sound.

He looked over at the monitor, and the green flashing light. "All clear!" Jack turned and playfully grabbed a stethoscope and wriggled his eyebrows. "Just one more test." He advanced on Owen, using the stethoscope's bell to trace a slow line up from the other man's waistband to his chest.

Ianto snorted from his corner. Trust Jack. A flash of lust dashed through his head and he gasped softly, pressing his hand against the sharp, physical pain that had blossomed in his chest.

Jack continued to flirt, listening intently with the stethoscope. "Why Doctor Harper, someone might think I'm having an affect on you, the way your heart's racing."

Owen gave him an amused look. "Do you even have any idea what you're doing? Been to medical school while I wasn't looking?"

"Not particularly, no."

Ianto focused in on the conversation, the pain easing slightly. He yawned again, and shook his head.

"So you're just doing this to get into my pants?" Owen sounded suspicious, and a bit smug.

"Yup!"

"Well how can I say no to that?" Owen smirked and pulled Jack in for a kiss.

Ianto suppressed his irritation, and another annoying sudden rush of lust and pain. He cleared his throat and gestured to the computer, which was pinging again. "Tests are done. Are we all dying, or should I make plans for the future?" His chest ached.

Owen disentangled from Jack and moved over to look at the results.

Jack slid over to Ianto while Owen was reading from the screen and printouts; he wriggled the end of the stethoscope invitingly. "So...wanna play doctor?"

Ianto swallowed. "I think we've had enough of that for one night."

Jack gave an adorable pout, but went ahead anyway, pressing the cold stethoscope against Ianto's bare chest before he could protest. The flirtatious expression disappeared and Jack looked alarmed. "Ianto? Are you okay?"

"What?" he closed his eyes and gasped against a sudden burst of pain.

"Your heart's racing!" Jack kept one hand on the bell of the stethoscope but the other slid up to cup Ianto's face.

"I-" Well that explained the pain then. It had felt like his ribs were too small, and his chest was tight, the room slid ever so slightly to the left.

"Owen get over here, there's something wrong with Ianto!" Jack barked turning to the doctor.

Owen hurried over looking worried. "What is it?"

"His heart's racing!"

Owen frowned and grabbed Ianto wrist. "Ok yeah that's a bit high, quite a bit high actually, anything else?"

"I'm _fine_."

"Not you. You'd be 'fine' if you came in with your head in a shopping bag. Jack?"

"Uh...he looks tired? He's shaky. Gasped a second ago."

"...Jack it's nearly the middle of the night, and we've all been though a ton of tests. Of course he's tired!" Owen rolled his eyes and dropped Ianto wrist, and took the stethoscope from Jack so he could listen to Ianto chest for a minute himself. Ianto tried to disappear into the back of the seat, but Owen followed him.

"He's under more then a little stress, and he's the biggest caffeine addict of us all. Of course his heart rate is a little high." despite his reassurance grabbed and pointed a scanner at Ianto again quickly. "The shaking's probably just the egg zapper catching up with him."

He looked at it the scanners results with another frown and then went back to looking at the rest of the tests.

"What the the hell?" Owen scowled at the tests results. "Nothing. Blood tests, x-rays, normal physical exams, alien medical scanners. There's nothing new wrong with any of us. How the fuck could there be nothing? That thing knocked us on our arses, and there's _nothing_ wrong with us?"

"You sound disappointed." Ianto commented while he pulled away from Jack and buttoned his shirt, working a knot into his tie.

"I'm not disappointed." Owen protested. "Just...confused. Why would that thing zap us, if it's not going to do anything?"

Ianto yanked the knot out, and started over, willing his fingers to be steady.

"Maybe it likes us?" he asked, only half serious.

Jack shrugged and moved over the tie Ianto's tie for him, still giving him a concerned look.

"Maybe it wasn't designed for humans. It could have tried to do something to us, and it didn't work. We'll find out when we get back there, and bring it inside so we can test _it ._ For all we know it could be an intergalactic joy buzzer."

Tosh cleared her throat, alerting the men below to her presence on the upper floor. "Already doing that. We ran a few scans, got it into a dolly and we've started doing more advanced scans now."

"You two shouldn't have touched it. That thing knocked us out. Who knows what it could have done to you." Owen groused, sliding on his shoes and handing Jack his.

Tosh rolled her eyes. "We were smart enough to wear protection while handling a unknown alien device, unlike_ some _people."

Owen muttered and gave the scanner an annoyed look while he pointed it at the captain again.

Jack pulled it out of his hands and gave him a quick peck to soothe the loss of his toy. "We're fine Owen. You said so your self. You've run every test we can do. There's nothing wrong."

Owen scowled. "I'm going to go look at the tests you've done on the device." he told Tosh as he brushed past her.

"He's cute...in an annoying way, when he's over protective." She tilted her head towards the retreating doctor.

Jack nodded, smiling, and Ianto felt he couldn't agree more; at least to the annoying part.

Ianto stretched his feet out and grabbed Jack's offered hand, levering himself up, feeling more tired than the late hour dictated.

"Coffee." He decided, out loud, and set a course for the machine, stepping around the medic who was sprawled out in the middle of hub, head beneath the raised egg and muttering himself.

Coffee. And maybe a splash of rum. It had been a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack frowned and shook his head as he tried to focus of the paperwork in front of him. The letters refused to stay still, and he had signed one document four times before realizing it was Thai print out menu.

A dull headache throbbed behind his eyes. It had started during the blast, and had been fairly constant, ebbing only when Owen or Ianto proved a distraction. Unfortunately they had both buggered off fairly quickly, preferring to deal with the night's events in their own havens. So Jack had retreated to his office, and started to tackle the stack of paperwork, only after discovering Ianto had stolen his ipod again. Man was a stickler for empty "to do" trays.

But paperwork was boring; his head hurt, and his whole body tingled. Everything seemed over sensitized. Sounds were too loud, his clothes, which before felt perfectly comfortable, now felt rough, and he was still nauseous from his one attempt at Ianto's coffee. What was usually Heaven in a cup, had tasted wrong and bitter and ceramic. He wondered if he was getting a migraine or something. Sensitivity was a sign wasn't it? He sighed and cracked his spine, wincing as his cotton shirt scraped across his back. Maybe he should just call it a night. Tosh and Gwen had left hours ago.

He looked up as he heard someone swearing under their breath. Owen sprawled against the doorframe, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm not working any more. It reeks out there. Perfume and cologne and mold. Smells like someone's dumped a bottle of cheap vodka on the couch, and the lights are too goddamn bright." He moved, only to sprawl in a chair instead. He wrinkled his nose. "Smells like old sex in here. Don't you ever clean?"

Jack rolled his eyes and turned back to his paperwork. "This place is spotless and you know it. Ianto would have convulsions if it weren't."

"Speaking of Spooky…"

Jack tried to give Owen a disproving glare, but ended up grinning. He tried to discourage name-calling, but Ianto tended to earn the nickname. He constantly managed to sneak up on the doctor, or finish his sentences, or chose the exact right moment to bring Jack an important file, leaving Owen frustrated and stuck under Jack's desk, trying to keep his feet out of sight. Besides, Ianto had plenty of colorful names for Owen as well.

"Is he gone yet? Bet he's lurking around just waiting for another cock block."

Ianto brushed by him lightly, as he entered the room, and picked up a pile of paper from Jack's out box. "Believe it or not Owen my world doesn't revolve around keeping you from having sex."

Jack gave Ianto an appraising look as the younger man handed him a mug of pale tea. The man himself was just as pale. Eyes slightly glassy, and hair starting to escape its gel. Jack felt tired just looking at him.

"Chamomile and lavender, Sir. It will help your headache. Shouldn't upset your nausea."

Jack frowned, wondering how Ianto knew. He hadn't seen him for at least an hour. He shrugged and took a tentative sip, relaxing as his stomach didn't protest.

Ianto reached over and dimmed the lights in the office, and Jack noticed that Owen didn't squint quite so much as before.

Owen scowled. "What are you still doing here?"

"I'm actually working. The paper work is reaching dangerous heights."

"But it's after five." Owen pointed out, not bothering to hide his frustration.

"Your clock reading skills continue to impress me." Ianto growled "Don't let me stop you two." he turned to leave.

Jack frowned. " I think we should all call it a night and get some sleep. We're all getting crabby. Ianto! Go home! Someone can do the paperwork tomorrow!" he shouted after Ianto, then winced at the volume of his own voice.

Owen shook his head slightly covering his eyes with his hand. Ianto turned, coming back to lean stiffly against the door jamb.

"No way in hell is that man getting on the road." Owen protested. "He'd be asleep before he got out of the garage."

Jack saw Ianto wince.

"He's probably right, Sir."

"You need to sleep Ianto." Jack tried to reason.

"I can sleep on the couch." Ianto seemed to hesitate, sounding unsure. "If that's okay. " His voice took a hard edge, and his eyes flicked to Owen, mirroring the other man's annoyance. "Your quarters are fairly sound proof if I remember. You won't even know if someone's in the hub."

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but Ianto was gone again, footsteps purposely loud as he escaped to the office.

Both men watched the door for a few seconds. Owen was the first to speak.

"Didn't even stick around for a threesome joke."

"Somehow I doubt he'd see the humor in it right now." Jack looked at the unfinished paperwork, tiredly, and left it where it was, stretching again as he stood.

"Does he ever?" Owen sighed and levered himself up. "I just wanna pass out for the next eight hours."

Jack gave a mild snort. "Eight hours? What dream world do you live in?"

Owen ignored the painful reality of the statement. "I'm too knackered, and my head is killing me, to drive home. I'm crashing in  
your bed."

Jack smiled slightly. "You know you're always welcome...though I never thought I would say these words: not tonight dear. I have a headache." He tilted his head, savoring the novelty of the statement.

Owen choked on a laugh and half stumbled over to the hole in the floor leading to Jack's room. "One of these days you gotta get a real room. I'm going to break my neck falling on this bloody thing. And I feel like I'm a POW every time I go in here."

Jack rolled his eyes. Okay, so there wasn't much room. Owen had insisted on a bigger, more comfortable bed, leaving little room for anything else. In fact the mattress curled a little around the edges at being shoved into such a tight space, making the whole thing rather nest like. Jack thought it was pretty nice, himself.

The captain covered a yawn and followed him. "Yeah, yeah, heard this before."

"Well listen one of these days and I'll stop saying it."

Jack slid down the manhole after Owen, not bothering with rungs on the ladder, and pushed Owen playfully on to the bed.

"You're welcome to join Ianto on the couch if you're going to complain."


	6. Chapter 6

Ianto yawned and stretched, tipping back slightly in Jack's desk chair. There was a tower of paperwork stacked neatly in the outbox, and from a corner of the large desk a laptop hummed away happily, searching various databases for egg shaped artifacts with tendencies to knock people on their asses.

He glanced up at the clock and groaned. The numbers wavered in the gray area between really, really late, and obscenely early. He hadn't planned to stay this long, and certainly not in Jack's office. He had skulked about the hub, not being able to sleep; until he was sure Jack and Owen were tucked safely away in Jack's sorry excuse for private quarters. Then he had come back up, intending only to straighten the room some and gather up the dirty coffee cups.

There had been just one document left unfinished on the desk, So Ianto sat down to finish it for Jack. The one below that had only needed a signature, and the next down just a few calculations. Four hours later he was still there and had decided that as long as he was working, the computer system could do its part.

Ianto stood up, wincing as his back cracked. He was tired, and his head ached. But the flashes of pain that had been plaguing him had disappeared soon after he had started in on the paperwork. He left the laptop running, and stumbled down into main hub, throwing himself down on the couch. With any luck he could still snag a few hours of sleep. There was an extra suit down in the archives, and in Jack's closet too if it hadn't been thrown out yet, and he was sure he could wake himself up in time to grab a shower before Gwen and Tosh arrived.

Ianto shut his eyes, and let out a breath, trying to relax, instead of thinking about what his office mates probably did on the couch after hours. Hell, he had done it often enough himself. Young healthy male and all that. He snorted and threw an arm over his eyes, drifting off.

He blinked as he found himself looking down into Jack's room, the world was tinted an unsettling shade of blue, and he felt a muddled vertigo. Jack was lying in bed, Owen beside him. The covers had been kicked down, tangling around their legs. It was too still. Ianto felt his blood turn to ice. They looked unreal. Eyes wide and staring up at him, chests barely rising. Ianto felt his own chest tighten, lungs burning as they breathed so slowly. The air was thick, and everything was wrong. Ianto stumbled as the vertigo rose up again, pulling him off his feet. He fell.

Ianto shot up, nearly overbalancing off the narrow couch as he gasped for air.

He felt adrenalin coursing though his body, and was nearly shaking with tension. The pain in his chest was back, throbbing against his ribs, spreading through his body.

He could still feel it, the thickness of the air, the uneasiness that had his mind screaming at him. He stumbled off the couch to Tosh's computer, bringing up the Hub's defense program. No alarms tripped. Three bodies, not counting their guests in the cellblock. Everything was fine. He brought up the readings on Rift activity, gasping as pain shot through his side. Nothing. There was nothing.

He frowned as he turned back to the hub. Nothing. His eyes skittered over the egg shaped alien device. Could that be it? He inched closer and studied it.

He closed his eyes and found himself looking down into the captain's room again.

Another course of worry, fear, panic and more emotions than he could work out flashed though him, yanking him back. His eyes jumped to Jack's office.

Jack. Owen. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong. He rushed to the office, yanking open the round door that had been embedded into the floor.

He froze. They lay there, with the sheets tangled around their thighs, staring up at him. Their chests barely moved. They looked dead. Unreal. Just like before.

He flew down the ladder hitting the bed as he landed and jarring the two men. Neither moved.

Ianto crawled forward in the awkward space, until he was kneeling between Jack and Owen on the bed.

Ianto turned to Jack first, shaking him. Not even a flinch. He remembered clearly from his time with Jack, Jack hardly slept, and when he did he'd wake at the drop of a pin, well nearly. He'd dropped one once to see what would happen. It took the whole box. But Jack was still a light sleeper.

He shook him harder, and then shook Owen. Neither reacted. "Owen? Jack? Wake up! Wake up!"

"Shit shit shit." He leaned back and ran his hands though his hair.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes trying to calm him self. He reached down and pressed his fingers against Owen's throat, and then Jack's, relieved to find slow, steady pluses. "Okay. Okay, they're alive. What do I do now?"

He closed his eyes again, thinking desperately, and thought about what to do. He took a deep breath and let it out, and suddenly he knew, like someone had written the answer behind his eyelids in glowing letters. He didn't know how he knew, but that didn't matter. Ianto followed his instincts.

"Owen," he said quietly, leaning down and brushing his fingers through the short dark hair. He closed Owen's eyes with a sweep of his other hand. Light was bad. Lights and smells.

"Owen," he repeated. "Coc oen, it's time to wake up." Ianto commanded softly, using the teasing name he had once given the man.

Owen's breathing grew more shallow, but Ianto refused to panic. He leaned forward further, lips brushing Owen's ear, hands stroking and soothing the other man's body. "Owen, listen to me. I need you to focus on me. Just me. I need you here, now. Please, you're safe. I promise."

Owen's chest stilled beneath his hand.

"I swear to you, Owen. You're safe." Ianto fought the panic that tried to enter his voice. "I'm here and you're safe, and I swear to you Coc oen, that if you don't come back within five seconds, you make your own goddamn coffee from now on."

Suddenly Owen gasped for breath, and buried his face against Ianto's neck inhaling deeply. Beneath him Ianto could feel the man shaking.

Ianto let out a laugh that he would later admit was tinged with more than a little hysteria. "You're fine, Owen, you're fine." Ianto bit his lip as the pain returned, and he pushed it down as far as he could. It blossomed in his chest, turning his lungs to ice.

He pressed a brief, reassuring kiss to the top of Owen's head and turned his attention to Jack.

Jack still lay as Ianto found him, chest still rising and falling too slowly, eyes still open, staring at nothing. Ianto shut his own eyes briefly, hoping for more inspiration.

He could feel Owen behind him, still shaking and gasping. Terrified. Another wave of pain swept through Ianto and he cried out.

Touch. His clothes had bothered him. Taste, the coffee that made him sick. What else? What else? Think. Hearing! That was it.

Ianto leaned down, bumping his forehead gently against Jack's.

"Jack, come on, love. Your turn." He trailed his fingers over Jack's face, stroked them over Jack's throat. "I need to see some life in those eyes of yours, Jack. Come back now, follow my voice, those Welsh vowels you love so much, follow them back to me." Ianto teased Jack, gently. "You're scaring Owen, Jack, you need to come back now, from wherever you went." He could taste blood in his mouth, from where he had bitten down against the pain in his chest. Ianto's head started to swim as the pain continued. "Love, please!" Panic cracked into his voice, and he pressed his lips against Jack's.

Jack's return, like the man him self, was more dramatic. He surged forward, pushing Ianto back and kissing him deeply, before pulling away in shock, and smacking himself on the brickwork. Without his support Ianto fell over, landing against Owen.

Owen, Ianto noticed blearily, wasn't shaking any more. Though it looked like Ianto had picked them up. The pain was gone, though his body ached with the memory of it, and he felt little prickles of sweat on the back of his neck.

Owen struggled to sit up, but Ianto refused to be budged. Finally the other man settled for propping up on one elbow "_God._ What was that?"

"Dunno" Ianto answered, wishing his arms would move so the he could rub at his temples.

"Ianto? What...did I die?" Jack had joined them again, rubbing his own head where it had hit the wall. 'Bastard' Ianto thought, temples beginning to throb in earnest.

"Possibly." Ianto muttered.

"Ianto," Jack was leaning over him, looking concerned. "Are you okay? Your heart's racing again."

"You're not even touching me." Ianto stared up at his captain, trying to sound reasonable. Jack laid a hand to Ianto's chest, as if to confirm that he'd said, and his frown deepened

"Your heartbeat's so loud, I can hear- I can hear it! How can I hear it?" Jack voice raised in pitch as his eyes widened and he stared up.

Ianto turned his head, hoping for an explanation from Owen, only to see the other man mirroring Jack's frown. Owen reached out to stroke Ianto's neck. "I can see it." He said quietly, running his fingertips across the pulse at Ianto's throat. "Like it's about to jump out of your skin."

Owen's eyes widened, and Ianto felt another ripple of pain, and what might have been concern. He gasped and squeezed his eye's shut. He was tired, and wrung out, and scared, and it hurt.

"Right." Owen said suddenly, too loudly. "That's it." He pulled away from Ianto and Jack, scrambling for his jeans at the foot of the bed. "Autopsy bay now. I'm running more tests."

Jack continued to kneel beside Ianto, one hand stroking his chest, and Ianto wasn't quite clear who he was reassuring.

"You know," Jack grinned playfully, his eyes still worried, as he caught the pair of pajama bottoms Owen threw at his face. "This wasn't exactly how I planned to get you back into bed."


	7. Chapter 7

Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist as they stood together in the autopsy bay, enjoying the weight of the younger man's head on his shoulder. It had been too long since Jack had held him like this, and he had a suspicion that if Ianto wasn't too busy trying to stay awake, he'd protest. But Ianto had insisted on standing, afraid that if he sat down he'd go to sleep, and Jack and Owen would die without him, or wouldn't be able to wake up by themselves. That left Jack with the option of keeping Ianto upright, or letting him fall on his ass. Jack had to admit, he liked this option, even under the circumstances.

Ianto shivered and pressed closer. Of the three of them he was the most dressed, having only abandoned his jacket and tie sometime in the night, but he was also the coldest. His skin, beneath the shirt, was cool under Jack's fingers, and Jack concentrated on feeling the slow, warm, pulse in the tiny veins that ran beneath the surface of Ianto's back, knowing that they should be impossible to feel.

"How's he doing then?" Owen had come up beside them, looking serious despite his behead and the fact that he had obviously grabbed one of Jack's shirts instead of his own. He had a pen tucked behind his ear, and a clipboard in one hand.

"Exhausted. And in pain. Is it safe to give him anything?'

"Not until we know what's causing this." Owen shook his head, frowning. "And why he's reacting so differently than either of us. There's nothing physically wrong with him. I have no idea where it's coming from. That means it's probably psychosomatic. You doing okay?"

"Headache. Feels like some of my senses are going haywire. But considering I might have died I feel fine."

Owen grabbed his pen and started taking notes, as his professional training took over. "Which senses? And I want the whole story."

Jack felt Ianto shift in his arms, and knew the man was listening again. He rubbed small circles against Ianto's back as he talked.

"Hearing's one. That's obvious. His heartbeat was so loud it was something out of Edgar Allen Poe."

"We don't have floorboards," Ianto countered sleepily. Jack smiled.

"Touch and Taste. Trying not to do either of those at the moment. I didn't start noticing them until later, maybe 2 or 3 hours after we got shocked. That was... an experience. Sounded like I had a head full of bees. My fingers started tingling and then it was just a bolt of electricity pushing me backwards."

Jack's arm itched with the memory.

"Felt the same thing." Owen said, still writing. "Except maybe with a bit more screaming. Bitch of a headache. Sight and Smell for me, and about the same time frame, though I honestly thought I was going to find my eyeballs running down my face in the garage.'

Ianto made a disgusted noise against Jack's throat and Owen laughed, before turning back to a printer spewing out even more results.

Jack continued to prop Ianto up as Owen began even more tests. The doctor kept shooting them both concerned looks, and finding reason to keep within touching distance of them both.

"So Ianto, feel like talking? You seem to be having a different reaction then Owen and me." Jack asked, trying to help Ianto as the Welshman struggled to stay awake.

Ianto frowned and shook his head. "I- I don't know. I'm not...feeling things the way you are, or seeing things the way Owen is. But I am...uh feeling and seeing things. I can't really explain it. I just...knew something was wrong, before. I don't know how I knew, but I did."

Owen looked up from the monitor he was studying. "Did you experience something different from us when that thing zapped us?"

"I- well it felt like a magnet. I felt...drawn to touch it. Then when you did, there was this...God, I don't know, it was like a powerful vacuum sucking me in and electricity and pain, but not mine, and it all happened in an instant and then you were on the ground."

Ianto shivered again, and Jack tightened his hold "you two were on the ground." He continued, voice slightly dazed. "Writhing around like you were holding on to a livewire. I couldn't feel anything. But it hurt and I couldn't help. I wish I could help." Ianto buried his face back into the crook of Jack's neck.

Jack held Ianto and thought about what he had said, then blinked when he realized, suddenly his headache was gone. He didn't have to fight to control his senses. Ianto's pulse had disappeared from beneath his fingers.

He looked over at Owen and noticed him squinting against the headache, or the fluorescent lights, breathing through his mouth. Probably trying to avoid any smells. Jack reached out, grabbed Owen's hand and put it on Ianto shoulder.

Owen frowned, and stared up at Jack, before turning his attention to Ianto. Ianto's head had fallen against Jack's shoulder, eyes closed; asleep.

"Feel better?" Jack asked.

"Of course I don't fucking feel-" Owen paused in his ranting and looked around the autopsy bay. "...alien device of some kind in your pocket?"

Jack shook his head, "It's him. Somehow."

"How?" Owen hissed, keeping his voice low.

"Dunno." Jack replied, voice equally as soft.

"You know." Owen let his hand fall, spreading against the small of the Welshman's back, feeling, Jack supposed, almost normal for the first time in hours. "When I was... unconscious? Unresponsive? He used this voice. Never heard anything like it before, and couldn't do anything but listen. He sounded so sure that everything would be okay, like he knew exactly what he was doing. I listened and he made it all go away. The smells that were too strong, the lights that were too bright." Owen moved around, sliding his hand up Ianto's back, but never breaking contact, so that he could see the face, tucked in under Jack's chin. "It felt like this."

Ianto's head jerked, eyes opening wide. "...What?" Ianto was forcing him self to keep his eyes open, still fighting sleep.

The Welshman shook his head as he started to dose off.

Owen reached out and placed his fingers against Ianto's throat to monitor the pulse there. His hand slid back; tangling into Ianto's hair, thumb brushing the sensitive patch of skin behind Ianto's ear. "Sleep, Yan."

Ianto shivered at the touch, but shook his head again; stubbornly "I'm fine. I've gone far longer without sleep before." Despite his words Jack felt Ianto lean even more heavily on him.

"Yeah and you've also been rendered unconscious by a alien device" Owen argued, "been though a million medical exams, been stressed for what...oh say the last _decade _straight. You've been in pain since yesterday. I say you could do with a few hours of sleep."

Jack smiled. "You can stop lecturing now." He shifted, holding Ianto more tightly. "I think he's gone."

Owen sighed, examine the sleeping man. "One problem down at least. But that can't be comfortable. I'd be happier if he were in bed"

Jack's smile broadened. "I think that can be arranged. I just happen to have some experience getting unconscious Welshman into my bed." He winked, and Owen snorted.

"I'm sure you do."


	8. Chapter 8

Owen looked up from the database he had been scouring, and eyed the clock on his desk disbelievingly. 4:30. "No fucking way." He could have sworn it had been an hour earlier five minutes ago.

But at least they were getting somewhere. He stretched and tilted his head back, instantly regretting it as the harsh lamp light hit his eyes.

"Really, why is it so fucking bright? This place is normally a cave!" he complained to the vaulted ceiling.

"It still is a cave. Mold and everything." a soft voice answered behind him.

Owen spun around as Ianto spoke. The Welshman gave him a tightlipped smile and held out a pair of sunglasses.

"You look like shit." Own said, as way of thankfulness, slipping the glasses on. And Ianto did. Clothes wrinkled, hair sticking out wildly. Lines of pain were etched on his face and his eyes only stood at half-mast. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"I woke up. Imagine how confused I was to be in Jack's room again." Ianto went to pick up Owen's empty coffee cup, but stopped when Owen slapped his hand away.

Ianto frowned. "Really. Why in the world did you two let me fall asleep? There are things that need to be done. Not to mention you two could die." Ianto looked over Owen shoulder. "Find out anything useful?" The doctor was perfectly aware that Ianto was trying to divert attention away from himself, but let it be.

Owen shook his head looking frustrated. "Not really. All of our blood pressure and heart rates are though the roof, but other then that there doesn't seem to be anything in common. Jack's hearing things; he's threatening to strip his clothes off, for non-sexual reasons for once. And turns out he still can't stomach anything."

Ianto gave him a questioning look.

Owen shrugged, "There was pizza in the fridge. Then it was in the waste can, and on the floor. And splattered in the sink. Smelled bloody awful. He's found a lead on the egg though. Down in the archives." He waved a hand towards their direction before continuing. "I'm having vision problems and seem to be smelling things that aren't there...and I'm not having a stroke, I checked."

He had checked for several other things besides. Unfortunately Splott seemed to be hosting the mass delusion party this month. He had made a note to tell Jack about that later.

"And you..." Owen reached out, pressing his fingers against the inside of Ianto's wrist. "You're in pain, don't lie, I know you are. And you're exhausted to the point I'm shocked you haven't collapsed yet."

Ianto was trembling again, but he tried to stand straighter. "I'm fi- I slept a little. I'll just put on a pot of coffee and then-."

"If you even think about climbing those stairs. I'll break both your legs."

"Jack'd have your head." Ianto protested.

The captain chose that moment to arrive, with a bag slung over his shoulder, and a cup in hand. "I'd hold you still while he did it. _You _are supposed to be asleep." Jack said firmly while he stepped around Ianto to hand Owen the mug of coffee. Owen took it gratefully, needing the caffeine too much to care about Jack's warning that it was instant.

"I woke up." Ianto countered, folding his arms over his chest, swaying slightly as the movement threw off his balance.

"Well go back to sleep. There's nothing so dire that you should be up when you're this exhausted Ianto."

"You two nearly _died_ Jack, so no, I will not go to sleep until we find out what happened, and how to make sure it doesn't happened again!"

Owen put down his coffee and interjected. "Ianto do you really think you're going to be of any use like this? Look at you! You're dead on your feet! Get some sleep. Jack and I are doing fine, and Gwen and Tosh will be in, in a few hours, and can help." he tried to reason. He saw the doubtful look on Ianto's face.

"At least take a nap on the couch." Maybe Ianto would compromise. "We'll wake you up if we need anything, and your..." Owen paused, wondering exactly what to call it. "Something will wake you up like it did last time, if anything happens to one of us."

Ianto looked ready to argue, but suddenly listed to one side. Jack shot out an arm, grabbing him and hauling him upright again. Ianto blushed slightly, the color starling on his grey face, but admitted defeat. "Fine. On the couch. But I expect to be woken up if you find anything!"

"Yes Ianto." Jack said patiently while tugging him over to the couch, and laying him down. "We'll be sure to do that." The captain pulled his greatcoat from where it had been thrown against the back of the chair, and spread it out over the younger man, who was already asleep.

Jack kneeled next to Ianto and watched him sleep for a few minutes, before making his way back to Owen's desk.

"How long do you think it will last this time?"

Owen snorted. "Half an hour?" Probably less. It was impossible to keep the Welshman down for long when he was determined to fight.

"Think he would kill us if you slipped him a sedative?" Jack asked, evidently not looking forward to the next round.

"Considering how I felt when he did it to me, more then once, while you were gone...probably." Owen wouldn't admit that at this point he didn't even want to risk anything over the counter. It was his and Jack's senses that were fucked up, but it was Ianto that was truly worrying him. This was going to be diffuicult enough to figure out. without adding drugs to the equation.

Jack sighed and pulled up a chair at Tosh's desk, unloading the bag full of files he had brought up from the archives. Some were creased or bent where they had been stuffed in.

Owen winced. Ianto was not going to be happy.

---

Owen looked over at the couch and frowned. Ianto had been sleeping, quietly if not peacefully for the better part of two hours. The greatcoat was twisted around him from where he had been tossing and turning. Owen could _smell_ the pain coming off him in waves. He didn't how he could do it, but he could and it scared the shit out of him.

His own fear was battling it out with his concern for Ianto. Concern seemed to be winning.

Owen grabbed the scanner off his desk. He had brought it up from the autopsy bay, scanning himself or Jack occasionally to see if there were any changes. None, of course. Quietly he walked over and knelt beside the couch, sweeping the alien device over Ianto's body.

Nothing.

"Heart's still racing."

Owen glanced up at the low voice. Jack stood by Ianto's feet, arms wrapped around himself in one of Ianto's nervous habits.

"From the pain, I'd wager. I can't find any cause. I've examined every inch of him, but can't find any injures, or anything that could be causing It. According to this," he waved the scanner. "He's tired, going through caffeine withdrawals, and apparently hasn't been eating his veggies lately. It can tell me that, but it knows absolutely fuck all about the pain." Owen felt frustrated and angry, and let it bleed through into his voice

Ianto made a small pained noise, and turned his face into the pillow.

"Owen stop feeling things." Jack was frowning.

"Excuse me?" Jack was already yanking Owen to his feet, pulling him away from the couch, and Owen dug his feet in, pulling back. He was the doctor goddammit, and Ianto needed him.

"Owen! Stop. Just... keep away from for awhile." Jack steered them towards his office. "I think our feelings are hurting him."

"Jack you can't be serious."

Jack gave Owen a look. Oh what the hell. This was Torchwood. Of course Jack was serious.

"That thing did something to us. And the more we research it, the more I'm starting to understand. You and I seemed to have gotten physical abilities, but Ianto may have gotten more...mental powers. Empathic. He can feel our emotions and it's hurting him. From what I know, for some it can be...err less then comfortable."

"That's a bit of an understatement. So what do we do?" Owen asked, running a hand through his hair. In his mind, 'stay away' wasn't even an option.

"For now?" Jack clarified. "Stay away."

Owen fought down a growl.

"I did pretty well in my psy classes. I think maybe I can shield him if I practice."

"You think? Maybe?" Owen asked, incredulously.

"Do you have a better idea?" Jack wasn't as successful as Owen as keeping his growl contained, and Owen backed down.

"Look, for now, it might help. At least it can't hurt." Having decided on the course of action, Jack switched subject. "I found some references in the research, some accounts of this same thing Ianto's going through happening to other people...this could be bad news."

Owen pulled off his sunglasses so he could rub his face, wincing as the light shot through his closed eyelids. "When is it ever good around news around here?"

Jack wrapped his arm around Owen and pulled him close. "Just a normal day at the office."

"A fucking lousy day." He muttered, leaning in, surprised that after all these hours Jack's shirt still held smell the Ianto's shampoo from where the younger man had rested his head.

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "Lousy describes it nicely. And trust me, I've had a lot of really really lousy days in my life."

Owen snorted and burrowed into Jack's chest. "And you know what the worst part is?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"What?"

"We still haven't had the make up sex you promised."

Jack snickered, propping his chin on the top of Owen's head. "Don't remind me." He groaned.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack was waiting in the tourist office when Tosh came in. He's been keeping an eye on the CCTV and wanted to meet her quickly before she could wake up Ianto. She was carrying a tray of take out coffees, one marked "H/C". Ianto refused to drink any coffee but his own, but the man had a particular fondness for peppermint hot chocolates.

"Tosh." He welcomed her, fighting back a yawn as he opened the hidden door.

"Morning Jack. Is something wrong? You look like hell." She handed him the tray and shrugged out of her coat.

"Haven't slept much. Uh you know that device yesterday? It seems to have done... something to us. It's a long, strange story so lets wait till Gwen gets in so I can fill you both in at once. Just, um, Ianto is sleeping on the couch, don't wake him up. He had a really awful night."

Tosh gave a concerned frown, but nodded, and continued into the hub, being careful to move quietly as she caught sight of Owen and Ianto.

Owen was kneeling on the floor beside the couch, the coffee table having been pushed out of the way. Paperwork was scattered on the floor around him in large, somewhat organized semi-circle, and Owen looked like he was recovering from an all night bender. He looked up briefly before returning back to studying the papers, muttering a 'hello' around the pen dangling from his mouth.

Ianto shifted in his sleep, burrowing deeper into the couch, and despite her concern, Tosh smiled at the sleeping man. Jack couldn't blame her. He looked so young, and frankly, adorable snuggled up under the greatcoat, one arm curled around a pillow, tucking it up against his chest.

Ianto winced, gasping slightly in his sleep, and Tosh's smile disappeared.

Jack came up to her, keeping his voice soft. "Uh try to avoid having feelings. Once again, long story, but Ianto's being affected by everyone's feelings. It seems to hurt him. So...don't feel. Or at least try not to feel near him."

Tosh gave him a wide-eyed look, but backed off.

"He doesn't seem to mind Owen." She noticed.

"Evidently he's good at not feeling anything." Jack snickered at the upraised finger from the doctor, who didn't look up from his work.

"Or just hiding them. As long as it works. And I've been working on shielding Ianto. A little bit rusty though, so things are leaking through. Don't suppose you know anything about shielding?"

Tosh shook her head. "Just what I learned from some meditation classes."

For the first time Jack regretted his less than professional hiring practices. Though psychic testing was mandatory, Jack had never bothered making any of his employees go through training after they got their results back, and Gwen had come at a time when testing wasn't exactly Torchwood's top priority. Ianto was the only one with any sort of experience, though the younger man hated to admit it.

"It helps if you try to wrap your emotions up in something good. Try picturing…" Jack waved his hand, trying to think of an example. "A burrito. Concern. Anger. Annoyance. Those are the beef filling. Good, yummy, and completely necessary, but you need to wrap it up in a tortilla of warm squishy feelings, or things are going to get messy. Messy in this situation means pain for Ianto. So nice strong tortillas okay?"

Tosh smiled again, nodding, but Owen snorted. "I think you're reaching a bit."

"I'm hungry!" Jack defended his metaphor with a grin.

"Well, I'm not leaking anything warm or squishy...that sounds absolutely unhygienic." Owen accepted a coffee from Tosh, who had edged closer to the couch, testing Jack's burrito theory.

"You're an angel." Owen offered up a genuine smile, taking a deep swallow of the bitter drink, before turning back to the papers.

Tosh leaned over, catching the greatcoat as it started to slide off Ianto when the younger man shifted again.

"Not your feelings." Jack reassured. "He does that anyway."

She tucked the coat back around Ianto gently, brushing his hair away from his face.

"Anything I can help with?" Tosh turned and asked quietly. Owen nodded, scooting over a little to make room. "You can start with these papers."

Jack watched from his commandeered position at Tosh's desk, all screens filled with the information they had managed to gather. Owen was explaining his rather sketchy organization system to Tosh, and soon the two were deep in their work, while behind them Ianto slept silently.

Jack turned back to the monitors, taking an experimental sip of his coffee, then shuddered. It tasted like burnt toast. He flicked his eyes to the tray, and then towards Ianto, before grabbing the cup of hot chocolate. Hesitantly he took a sip and grinned. Peppermint syrup. Ianto used to taste like that, all warmth and cool flavor on his lips and in his smile. Jack had never really liked peppermint until the Welshman had started working for him.

Jack set back to work, taking another sip with a pleased hum.

---

Someone was watching him. Ianto didn't liked being watched so he ignored it for the moment, stretching, his back popping as he rolled over. His body ached and he felt like he could still sleep for days, but the pain was gone. He winced as a tiny pang hit his chest. Mostly. Not too bad though. Nice. He relaxed back down into the couch and started to drift off.

"Oh no you don't!"

Ianto yelped as Jack's coat was yanked away. He made a grab for it and would have fallen face first into the concrete if Owen hadn't grabbed him, pushing him back upright. Ianto finally opened his eyes, looking up at the doctor leaning over him, grinning.

"Morning, Luv. " Owen plopped down beside him and set a Styrofoam take out box in Ianto's lap, before turning to his own.

"Gwen finally got in, and Jack ordered breakfast for us all. God it's been ages since I've had a real sit down breakfast. Eggs are as greasy as I remembered." Owen happily dug in.

Ianto looked down at his own plate doubtfully, feeling slightly queasy as he saw the contents for the first time.

"What?" Owen asked, glancing down as well. "Oh right. Sorry." He plucked the sausage links off the plate the stuffed them in his mouth. "Better?" he mumbled around the food.

Ianto smiled. "Yes. Thank you."

"More for me. We tried to get a vegetarian plate, but they kept arguing about the eggs."

"It's okay." Ianto take a small bite of the eggs. He wasn't sure when his last real breakfast was either. Before Torchwood 3 certainly. Their line of work wasn't exactly conducive to steady meals. "It's good." He decided, trying a little more.

"Feel like getting up so we can tell the girls about the bizarre new talents?"

"Not really, No." Ianto flicked his eyes up to the conference room, and three sets of eyes suddenly looked elsewhere. He sighed and turned back to the man beside him on the couch.

Owen was eying him critically. He transferred his plastic fork to the plate and slid his fingers around Ianto's wrist and looked relieved. "Pulse is fine. You look better. See what happens when you actually listen to your doctor?"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Yes I feel better. But I was fine. I'm very used to going long stretches running on nothing but coffee." he ran a hand though his hair and winced. He felt rather disgusting, not having showered since yesterday.

"So the alien egg that had nothing to do with the fact that you were doubled over in phantom pain the whole night?"

"Well there is that." Ianto consented, and gave out a small laugh at Owen's look of disbelief.

Owen never believed him when he said he was fine. Granted, the man had seen him bruised, bleeding, concussed, and nibbled upon by cannibals, all the while insisting he was perfectly healthy. He couldn't blame Owen for not listening to him in that regard.

"Well we're not letting you run on coffee any more. You're going to eat and sleep...as much as any of us do with this job."

"I was sleeping." Ianto pointed out.

Owen ignored him

"And we'll get you a shower and change after the meeting."

"Are you saying I stink?" Ianto teased, wishing at least that his shirt wasn't so wrinkled. He looked around for his shoes, before   
remembering that they were still in Jack's room.

"Well I wasn't going to say anything…" Owen grinned, before standing up, and taking both their trays, stacking them.

"Come on, I can see Jack making faces at us. We can finish up in there." Owen held his hand out to Ianto.

Ianto let him self be pulled to his feet and followed Owen up the stairs to the conference room, trying to smooth his crumpled pants.


	10. Chapter 10

Owen had one hand at the small of Ianto's back, in what might have been a supportive gesture. The fact that Owen was using it to push Ianto in the room only made it slightly less so. He steered the younger man into the chair beside Jack and sat down beside him, arranging the trays in front of them.

Ianto picked up his fork before looking up at Tosh and Gwen, who were trying to look comforting. Gwen's brows furrowed in concern, and Ianto gasped.

"Gwen!" Jack snapped.

"Sorry!" Gwen eyes went wide,

"It's okay Jack" Ianto said quietly, voice taking on a soothing quality. "Just a little twinge." He flashed Gwen a reassuring smile.  
"No harm done." He turned back to Jack, continuing in the same softly-spoken way "Sir, you haven't touched your food. I know it must taste terrible, but you need to eat."

Jack made a face. "Nothing tastes right." He complained.

"Then concentrate on the way it feels on your tongue instead. Try to balance your sense of taste and touch. That will help."

Jack unwillingly speared a link of sausage and took a bite before he could change his mind, obviously expecting the worst. His eyes opened wide in surprise. "It worked!" He said happily andbegan wolfing down his breakfast.

"Well of course it worked." Ianto replied, and Owen snickered at the mildly offended tone. "For god's sake Jack. Chew your food."

"How did he know that would do it?" Tosh asked as she leaned forward, studying Ianto closely. Ianto just ducked his head and went back to his own breakfast, ignoring the eyes on him

Owen sensed Ianto's discomfort. "Let's start at the beginning yeah?"

"Alright," Jack began, his mouth full of egg. "So late yest-"

"Sir!"

Jack rolled his eyes, swallowed, and started again. "So late yesterday Owen, Ianto and I were unloading the Deviled Egg-"

"Sir?"

"Owen thought you'd like the name. Are you going to say Sir after every sentence?" Jack took the opportunity to pop another fork-full of food in his mouth.

"I'll try to refrain… Sir."

"Good. Alright, so we were unloading the Deviled Egg when Ianto noticed this glyph." Jack clicked the remote and the computer monitor on the wall showed a video from the garage's camera. "Looking back over the CCTV, Ianto seemed attracted to it, more than either of us. We didn't notice it at the time, but that could have been the device influencing our perception. We all ended up touching it, in the indentions I thought were handles. Owen and I were shocked, and Ianto felt as if he were being pulled in." Jack paused, looking for confirmation, and Ianto nodded.

"So" he continued, "Owen and I began having some problems. We seemed to have enhanced senses. My hearing is insanely sensitive, as is my sense of touch and taste. And Owen's vision and sense of smell is the same. And Ianto...Ianto is empathic, and probably a little psychic. He can feel emotions but they hurt him. That's what the whole shielding thing is about. We didn't realize it at first so he had to spend all last night in pain."

Gwen gasped and Ianto's eyes widened and he breathed out a quiet 'fuck'.

Owen snarled at Gwen, and started to stand up before Ianto grabbed on to his jeans. As Owen sat back, Ianto slid a hand over Owen's leg, reassuring him. "Fine. I'm fine." He whispered, still trying to soothe Owen.

"I'm sorry!" Gwen jumped, looking guilty. "I'm sorry! Jesus, I only learnt psychic powers existed a few minutes ago, give me a break." she flinched back away from Owen.

"It's fine Gwen." Ianto reassured the distraught woman.

Owen glared at Gwen for a full minute before turning back to his breakfast.

"I think that may be a new development." Ianto smiled faintly. Owen had to agree, He had always been a little overprotective of those in his care, but the way he felt now, towards Ianto, was, in his opinion, completely fucking nuts.

Jack cleared his throat. "Yeah. Any way, Owen and I had some sort of...episode early this morning. We um. Well we stopped responding to anything and-"

"You stopped breathing." Ianto said quietly suddenly just pushing his food around the plate, no longer smiling.

Owen winced and Jack nodded. "Right. And Ianto, somehow sensed this, and came running and was able to wake us up. We both recovered pretty quickly, but it seemed to take a lot out of Ianto. After another thrilling round of medical poking, Ianto fell asleep, and except for a brief, but failed, mutiny, managed to stay that way."

Jack pressed the remote, bringing up a picture of the device they had named the Deviled Egg, as well as a set of schematics.

"In the last few hours we've managed to track down more information. Torchwood One had some experience with devices like this, maybe even this one. It's used to create teams of what they call Sentinel and Guides. A person would stand at each end and put his hands in the indentions. Then…something… happened, and they developed these…powers." Jack seemed a little lost for words.

"Which, incidentally, is where we sort of screwed up. The indentions under the blue glyph were meant for one set of hands.  
Since me and Owen each grabbed one apiece, it looks like we split the sentinel aspect. While Ianto got the guide side to himself."

"Wait, Jack." Ianto held up a hand. "What exactly do Sentinels and Guides do?"

Jack flipped to a new slide that brought up an antique picture of a tribal man but it was Tosh who answered.

"Sentinels exist on Earth too, naturally. Though they're pretty rare. According to what we've read Sentinels were the protectors of the tribe, city, whatever, and the Guide was the one who helped them control their senses."

The next slide showed files branded with Torchwood One, and Jack took over again.

"Torchwood one dealt with an expert in the field, Blair Sandburg, who works with one of the apparently natural sentinels. They  
experimented with the ones they made using the alien device, but didn't actually put them to use. Mostly just testing their senses,  
seeing what happened when they separated the pairs. It...usually ended in death, or insanity. For both Sentinel and Guide."

Owen felt Ianto's hand tighten on his leg, and he slipped his own hand under the table, rubbing his fingers against the inside of  
Ianto's wrist, in an attempt to bring a little comfort.

"Many of the Guides, like Ianto, scored fairly high on their psych tests, and had… problems with pain. They didn't make the connection between the two at first. But after awhile they started using guides with little to no natural psychic talent and had some better results."

Ianto tried to push his half finished breakfast away, but Owen reached out, pushing it back. Not eating wasn't going to help the  
situation. Ianto shot him a disapproving glance, but continued to pick at his eggs quietly.

"It doesn't look like they ever tried the "two sentinels- one guide thing" though. They were still experimenting with it, when the whole Canary Warf thing happened, so that's pretty much where our research ends."

"Why?" Gwen asked.

"Why what?"

"What was the purpose of Sentinels and Guides? Why did they put them through all of that pain and destruction if they weren't even going to use them?"

"For the same purpose Torchwood did anything." Jack pushed his empty plate away, and stood, reaching out to gather up the other empty ones. He stopped abruptly and instead he stepped behind Ianto, resting his hands on the younger man's shoulders.

"If it's alien, it's ours. It's all about getting alien tech for the good of the British Empire. They must have thought Sentinels and  
Guides would do that, once they figured out what made them tick. What were a few more loyal employees for the greater good?"

"Torchwood one," Owen said, grabbing the remote and punching the button violently to turn off the slides. "-were sick fucks."


	11. Chapter 11

Ianto and Owen walked down the hall side by side, quietly. The meeting had ended with Tosh deciding to do more research on natural Sentinel and Guide pairs, and Gwen and Jack were monitoring the rift. By that time Ianto was nearly crawling in his skin, desperate for a long hot shower. Owen had refused to let him out of their sight, and since Jack seemed to be marginally more in control of his senses, the doctor was elected to play Ianto's babysitter.

As they got further from the main hub and Jack, Ianto could feel the peaceful feeling Jack had been projecting, he had called them warm squishy burritos and Ianto was afraid to ask, starting to disappear. He could feel Owen's emotions, and the vague ache came back.

"Yan? You ok?" Owen looked at him in concern as they entered the shower room.

Ianto shook his head. "I'm fine. We just seem to have moved out of Jack's shielding range."

"What? Oh shit! I forgot, I'm sorry." Owen took a few steps back away from him, and Ianto felt a sudden, clumsy push of warmth, tinged with anxiety.

"It's not your fault." Ianto bowed his head and slumped down on the bench. "I should be able to do this my self. I did go though basics, but well, I was a Tea Boy and archivist in training. I didn't exactly think I was going to need it."

He gave Owen a quick smile. "I forgot all my training as soon as I finished basic and started apprenticing with the older Archivists."

"Better then me." Owen muttered. "I only had a couple hours with a class when Jack dragged me up to London for a meeting. They tested me, and pretty much decided I was the psychic equivalent of a brussel sprout. They gave me a half arsed like...bubble shielding lesson thing, then left me alone till Jack was ready to go home." Owen complained.

"Bubble...that's that one where you picture like a bubble of energy around you, right?"

"Yeah. Just like close your eyes, and picture a little tiny bubble at the roof of your mouth." Owen used the tone of voice his tester had, mocking her, but Ianto felt his eyes close of their own accord.

"Now just breathe, and every time you breathe the bubble will get a little bigger, and a little bigger until it's completely surrounding you, cutting off from the outside world."

Ianto blinked as the emotions and pain dulled to nearly non-existent, he opened his eyes experimentally, staring at Owen through what looked, for all the world like an honest to god bubble. All shimmering lights and catches of rainbows. He didn't think it was supposed to be that literal

Owen continued, unaware. "Stupid class. Before yesterday, I'd write it off as a pile of-"

"It worked!" Ianto exclaimed, holding up his arm to study the soapy looking shield clinging to his arm.

"What? Really?"

Ianto nodded. "Yeah, your feelings just faded to almost nothing when I did that."

"...I didn't think it actually worked..."

"Well it does!" Ianto stood and stretched, feeling better now that other people's emotions weren't constantly in the background, and moved into the shower area and started to unbutton his shirt.

Owen started humming what sounded suspiciously like stripper music

Ianto rolled his eyes. "How are you not still a virgin?"

Owen leered. "I'm _good_."

Ianto gave him a doubtful look.

"Hey, you fell for it. And Jack, almighty king of the sluts."

Ianto rolled his eyes again and finished undressing, folding his dirty suit and putting it in his locker. His shield weakened slightly as a wave of lust rolled over him, but the pain seemed to diffuse, tingling against every last nerve, too light to cause hurt. He shivered.

"Owen!"

"That was not my fault!" Owen protested, and then smirked, following him to lean against the wall within view. "I'm just a man."

Ianto ignored Owen and stepped in the shower, sidestepping the spray until it became warm enough

Ianto watched Owen watch him. It wasn't like the man hadn't seen it all before, but far be it from Owen to give up any chance for a free peek. Ianto wasn't going to let it bother him.

He narrowed his eyes as Owen became far too focused, his eyes beginning to glaze over.

"Owen! Do you want your death certificate to say 'Died while perving in shower'?"

Owen shook him self and sat up straight. "What? I'm here!"

"Stay here. And keep your eyes off my package."

"Aww."

Ianto stuck his head under the spray, trying to cool his burning ears.

Ianto looked over again Owen was staring at him again, not moving. Cautiously he stepped to one side, but Owen's eyes didn't move to follow him

"Owen!" Ianto jumped out from under the hot spray and shook him. "Coc Oen, pay attention!" shaking him again, a little harder than necessary.

Owen's snapped back, looking startled. "Uh...okay this might be bad..."

"Don't focus on one sense." Ianto was irritated, and concerned, but his voice was calm. "Just...feel your jeans or try to use your sense of smell." Ianto kept a hand on Owen's shoulder, kneading the tense muscle. "Smell the chlorine in the water if you're going to be staring so hard. It seems like you zone more when you're too into one of your senses."

"How do you know that?" Owen was struggling to keep his eyes above Ianto's neck

Ianto shrugged.

Owen shook his head, blinked and nodded as Ianto stepped back.

"Can I finish my shower now without you going into another coma?"

"I don't know...I might have to join you for safety sake." Owen said with a playful leer. Ianto rolled his eye, something he was doing far too often lately. At least it seemed his 'Sentinels' recovered quickly.

"You know, I'm positive this is classified as sexual harassment."

"Yup! Doncha love Torchwood?"

Ianto sighed the sigh of the long suffering and ducked back under the shower, scrubbing off in record time to avoid another...what had Jack called them? Zone outs?

He stepped out, wrapped a towel around his waist, making Owen whine, and grabbed his shaving kit from his locker, walking over to the sink to shave.

The door to the locker room opened and Jack's head popped in. "Uh are you guys alright?"

"Jack? We're fine. Is something wrong?" Ianto asked Jack's reflection in the steamy mirror.

"I- I just realized you'd moved out of my shielding range." he paused and did a double take, staring at Ianto "Do you have shields?"

"Yup. I taught him." Owen said smugly.

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, I'm proud of you two. ...Owen why are you wet?"

"...Um. No reason."

"He zoned out and I had to get out of the shower to get him back." Ianto said finishing up his shaving and rinsing the shaving cream residue off.

"Tattle tail." Owen scowled.

Jack frowned at Owen in concern and ran a hand though Owen's hair, making it stand on end. "Are you ok? It wasn't like before was it?"

"I'm fine. It was only for a second." Owen grinned. "There was this drop of water on his ear, and I couldn't help it. Watched slide all the way down his body, right down to the tip of his-"

"That's quite enough Owen!"

"-Nose." Owen finished with a grin.

Jack grinned back. "Can't say I blame you then. He has a cute…nose."

Ianto swatted at Jack as he passed, on his way to his locker. "Alright out. You two go find a corner to shag in, or something. Let me get dressed in peace." Ianto said making shooing motions, his shields wavering at the lust dripping off of both men.

Both balked.

"Jack," Ianto sighed. "I haven't had a moments peace since yesterday, and you haven't had a moment alone with your boyfriend." Both men flinched at the term and Ianto grinned.

"Knowing you two, I'm shocked you're not climbing the walls from some sort of… sexual deprivation. We know what's going on now; we have a better idea of how to control it. You don't need to stay joined to the hip with me."

"But what if we want to?" Jack asked.

Ianto gave him a hard stare. The bubble he had managed to create was faltering and he could see little tears starting to form in the filmy surface. He suddenly, desperately needed to be alone.

Jack held up his hands. "Fine, fine. We'll go. But get your Bluetooth and keep it on. I want to stay in contact."

Ianto picked up the Bluetooth and put in his ear before tugging on his shirt. "You realize if you talk dirty on Torchwood comms your breaking at least three rules right?"

Jack smirked "But I'm boss."

"Behave." Ianto commanded, folding his towel carefully so that they wouldn't see his hands shake.

"Yes sir!" Jack said snapping a salute and tugged on Owen's arm.

"I'll go, but I want to know if he so much as sneeze." Owen warned pointing a finger at Ianto as he followed Jack from the locker room.

The door swung shut and Ianto sagged, rubbing his face. He wasn't used to being the center of so much attention. It was exhausting. Even during his times of being with Jack, or Owen he'd still mostly been just the tea boy. Easily ignored, moving silently in the background keeping things running smoothly.

Now he was constantly watched, listened too. Jack with hands on his shoulders, or against his leg. Staring at Ianto's chest as he listened to his heart beat. Or Owen with the constant fingers around his wrist, not even pretending to check a pulse any more. Even Tosh and Gwen with their frequent glances, and barely hidden concern.

He was nearly ready to go into hiding, were it not for some instinct screaming at him to stay near Jack and Owen.

He couldn't wait to get back into the soothing depths of the archives. None of the others went there and hopefully no one had done too much damage to his filing systems in their searches for information on sentinels.

Just a little time alone and everything would be okay.


	12. Chapter 12

Jack's back slammed against the wall and Owen's mouth covered his in a fervent kiss. Jack could taste coffee, and toothpaste, and sex on the other man's lips.

Sex? Not new. Jack had had a lot of sex. A _lot _of sex. If he actually kept little black books he would have needed a bookcase.

But now? Feeling every thread in his jeans where Owen was grinding against him, hearing Owen's heartbeat pounding against his ears, it was like he was a virgin again. The new senses made everything new and different, and slightly scary, and it was the biggest turn on he'd felt since...who knows when.

His skin tingled everywhere Owen touched, every brush, every barely flutter of a touch left burning trails of lust.

And the taste. Oh god the taste!

Owen's mouth moved off his and started licking, sucking, and nipping down his jaw and neck. "God! Want you. Need you." Owen growled hoarsely in his ear. "If I can't have you I'm going to fucking scream."

Jack actually whimpered.

The other man grinned and reached for Jack's belt, dropping to his knees looking at Jack in a way that threatened to make him come before his pants were even open.

Owen pulled him free and leaned on Jack's hips pushing him back against the wall as Jack bucked forward. "Don't do you dare poke my eye out with that thing." Owen murmured with a grin, though it felt like a shout in Jack's ears,

Jack's laugh was cut short as Owen swallowed him to the root without so much a warning. Christ.

Jack let his head bang back against the wall trying to think unsexy thoughts and avoid embarrassing him self by coming like a fumbling teenager behind the bleachers for the first time. His hand scrabbled against the wall, and he forced himself to concentrate on the rough drag of it against his fingertips.

Jack heard the deafeningly loud sound of a zip being pulled down, and shivered when he realized Owen had let go on his hips and was opening his own jeans.

His world narrowed to just the two of them, in cool, dark back hall. The rough stone digging into his back, Owen's hot wet mouth on him, the sound of his own ragged breathing, and their heartbeats filling his ears. He felt himself start to slip, sliding into the feel of Owen's lips around his cock. The rest of the world was starting to disappear around the edges.

"Stop!" he gasped. "Owen. Stop."

Owen pulled back, reaching out to help as Jack's knees buckled and he slid down the wall. He panted, trying to get his bearings,

"Too much." Not enough. But Jack had been sliding and in another second he would have been gone. And god only knew how close Owen had been. Ianto wouldn't have been there, and as much as Jack loved a good blowjob, that wasn't a path he really wanted to take.

Owen was staring at him, eyes wide, chest heaving as he fought for breath, shaking slightly. "Zone out?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Fuck" Owen slumped forward, head landing Jack's chest. "Me too. Thought I could last. You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"'Fraid not." The fear had abated the lust somewhat, but not nearly enough. "You still planning on screaming?"

Owen gave out a frustrated little groan, "I think," he admitted, pulling himself upright, "a cold shower might be more productive at this point. "

Jack laughed, sliding back up the wall, he pulled Owen into a quick, mostly chaste, he was still too close, kiss. "We can shower together. Huddle for warmth."

Owen smirked, returning the kiss with one of his own. "Step in the wrong direction. But I got to say I like your thinking."


	13. Chapter 13

Ianto ran his hands over his jacket, feeling really better for the first time, now that he was clean and in a fresh suit. The shield Owen had inadvertently helped him create was starting to waver, and he couldn't help but wonder how Jack had managed to shield him the whole night.

His first stop was to make coffee, making sure, first that Tosh and Gwen weren't around. He felt guilty avoiding them, but he wasn't sure he could keep their emotions out. He deposited a mug of coffee on both of their desks, knowing they'd be back from where every they'd gone to and be grateful for the caffeine. He retreated to Jack's office with his own mug. He could just as easily look into the open research from here, and the rift needed to be checked on. No paperwork, though he was sure it was backlogged somewhere. Besides, he didn't think anyone would bother him there.

He took a sip of too hot coffee and blushed at the moan that came out of his mouth. No doubt Jack would label it 'pornographic' His caffeine levels were in the basement though, and Ianto couldn't really bring himself to care too much about the sounds he made.

He got to work, and was quickly lost to the outside world, letting his shield slip since he was alone. He would need it later, and it wouldn't do to keep it up if it just exhausted him.

His head jerked up sharply when the door burst open, Gwen rushing in and already talking to Jack, and he was assaulted by waves of emotion. Boredom, Frustration, Surprise, Worry, Fear, Guilt and ohgodithurt.

It hit him like a physical blow and he tumbled out of the chair, his mind reeling. It hurt, and he was on fire, and he couldn't breathe, and he thought it might just have been him that was screaming, though maybe it was Gwen.

"Oh sweetheart!" Gwen stepped forward, eyes wide, arms outstretched, and then he knew it was him who was screaming. It hurt.

Gwen froze.

There was a sudden loud pounding of feet, and Jack, and then a second later, Owen were bursting into the office.

"Gwen! Out now!" Jack yelled, shouldering past her, putting his own body between her and Ianto.

Owen didn't even speak he just snarled, sounding far too like the weevils he spent so much time around.

Gwen fled, and Jack was beside the younger man, lifting him up, sliding in behind him so that Ianto was leaning against his chest, and suddenly he could breathe.

Owen was there, and Ianto hadn't realized he had curled up into himself until Owen's hands were tugging at him gently, forcing him to stretch out, running over his body, looking for injuries.

The pain Ianto had felt was being slowly replaced by the warmth he was starting to associate with the two men. He closed his eyes and just let himself be held for awhile.

Jack was speaking quietly in his ear. "Ianto? Love, are you okay I heard you from the other side of the hub."

"Is that why you're both naked and wet?" Ianto asked, breathlessly, feeling as if he were swimming through thin molasses.

Owen blinked and looked down, seeming genuinely surprised. "Oh. Forgot about that. We were in the shower."

Ianto sighed and tried to push himself up "You two stay here, I'll fetch you some towels and clothes." He winced as he shifted.

"Oh no you don't! Sit! Stay!" Owen barked, pushing on his shoulders before he could get up. "What happened? I thought you were shielded?" Owen demanded, grabbing Ianto's wrist to check his pulse.

"I was tired. I let them go. I don't know. She just...startled me I guess. I was focusing on the paperwork and then she burst in, and then the pain was back." Ianto told them, looking longingly at the coffee cup on the edge of the desk. He could really use some caffeine.

Owen followed his gaze.

"What are you- is that coffee? Your heart rate keeps shooting over the moon, and you're having coffee?"

"Um...yes?"

Owen covered his face. "Jack, I swear to god I'm going to throttle him."

Jack made soothing noises at both of them. "It's okay, Ianto's shields weren't up. He's going to be okay now, I'm covering him and his heart rate comes down when he's shielded. And the pain stops."

"He should have been shielded before!" The doctor argued, letting his annoyance slip now that he knew the younger man was shielded.

"It's a bloody miracle I got them up in the first place." Ianto intervened.

"Because you slacked off in training!" Owen accused.

Ianto gave him an annoyed look. "Thank you. Yes I know, the tea boy's not perfect. Will you please shut up about it?"

Ianto pulled himself away from Jack.

"Are you two planning on walking around naked all day, or can I get up to get you towel and clothes, and a mop to clean up all the water you're dripping everywhere?"

"We're perfectly happy to walk around naked, and we'll clean up the water later." Jack was still trying to be soothing, and Ianto felt his irritation disappear. "You're not going anywhere without me until you're better at shielding your self." Jack continued,

"I'll go get some towel's and clothes." Owen said. Ianto's eye's widened and Owen shrugged. "I've slept with Gwen, and Tosh has without question perved over every hint of nudity on the CCTV footage, so nothing they haven't seen."

"Them and everyone in every building near your apartment." Ianto muttered.

"You're the one who wanted it against the glass." Owen said with a smirk, and Ianto blushed, looking down at the wet footprints on the floor.

Ianto ignored the doctor as he left the office, but laughed at the yelps from Tosh and Gwen as he strolled through the main hub.

Jack was snickering like a schoolboy listening to a dirty joke.

"You're enjoying this far too much." Ianto looked down at his suit and sighed. "And I'm wet again."

"Sorry. I'll send Owen to find you something dry when he gets back." Jack threaded his fingers though Ianto's hair gently, still kneeling next to him, and looking at him intently.

"I'm fine Jack. You don't have to watch me like I'm going to fall over dead."

"You didn't have you hear your heart rate shoot past the roof, or hear the screaming. You were on the floor, in pain, and it wouldn't have happened if I had been here.

Ianto rubbed his face. "Jack, it's not your fault. I'm a grown adult. I can take care of my self. Or at least I should be able to if I was better. It's my fault, as Owen said for 'slacking' in my training. If I'd paid more attention, practiced more over the years this wouldn't be happening. We could be focusing on the device and how to fix this situation with you and Owen, instead of you two having to hover over me like mother hens."

"Hummingbirds hover, Hens don't even fly" Jack argued, teasing a small smile out of the younger man.

"Still-"

Jack reached out and snagged Ianto's mug, handing it to him. "Tell you what? You stop arguing and I'll warn you when Owen's getting close."

"Deal." Ianto saluted Jack with the mug, before taking a large gulp.


	14. Chapter 14

"Don't even act innocent." Owen called out as he reentered Jack's office, fully dressed; towels and clean clothes tucked under one arm, medical kit slung over his shoulder. "I saw you from across the hub." He set down his burden and grabbed the coffee from its place on the desk, gulping down the rest of it to remove temptation.

He smirked at Ianto's protest.

"Jack dry off, get dressed. Ianto lay down on the couch."

Ianto protested. "Owen, you've examined me a dozen times, I doubt you're going to find anything different."

"Yeah well we're making it a bakers dozen then. I want to keep a close eye on your vitals till they stop shooting into alarming categories. You're just lucky I'm not dragging you down to the autopsy bay to do an EKG yet. Maybe a Holtar monitor..." he muttered then shook his head, pointing to the couch "Now lay down!"

Jack had already finished drying off and was pulling on his clothes while Ianto and Owen bickered. "His heart's already getting back down to normal." Jack informed Owen.

Owen gave him a look that said 'I'm the doctor. Fuck off." and just in case his look wasn't clear enough he said the same out loud.

Ianto didn't have the energy to argue anymore so stood and went over to the couch, pulling off his jacket and folding it across the back of the chair on his way.

"Don't know why you bothered getting dressed up. Roll up your sleeve." Owen commanded pulling out the medical equipment he thought he would need.

"Don't we have scanners? Why are you using blood pressure cuffs?" Ianto was eyeing the, by Torchwood standards, primitive technology skeptically, and Owen felt slightly offended. He had cut his teeth on this equipment,

"I'm not feeling very trusting of alien technology, right now, Yan." Owen growled as he started examining the younger man.

Jack sat on the edge of the desk and watched as Owen took Ianto blood pressure, listened to his chest, and all the other medical things he could think of without using the scanners.

When he finished he sat back on his heels. "Well other then his blood pressure still being a bit high, and his pulse jumping around, everything seems to be back to normal for the moment."

"I told you so." Ianto said, using Owen to lever himself up and reaching for his jacket.

"Shut up. You need more sleep. Even _I_ know your shielding abilities are going to go to shit when you're tired. Which means you to!" he said turning around to point at Jack.

Jack waved him off. "I hardly sleep. I've gone months without so much as a catnap before."

"And were you concentrating on shielding at the time?"

"...no." Jack admitted.

"And you've been shielding him how long now? Six, seven hours?"

"I'm fine!"

Owen rolled his eyes.

"Right. So both of you into the POW camp." He pointed to the hole leading to Jack's room. Exhaustion wasn't going to help any of them. At least with a few hours under their belt, Ianto might be up to shielding himself. And Owen could see the migraine starting to build up behind Jack's eyes.

"You're as tired as we are!" Jack argued.

"Yeah but I can be researching."

Ianto crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not sleeping if you don't have to sleep."

Owen grit his teeth. "Ianto stop being a two year old!" He tried to remember that it was the exhaustion. It was putting them all on edge.

"Make me."

"Do not fucking tempt me!" Owen snarled.

"Boys!" Jack moved between them, and Owen snarled again as Jack blocked his view of Ianto. "You're both- we're all going to sleep. Ianto's still drop dead tired, and we're not much farther behind him. Getting some sleep couldn't hurt right now, and we'll think more clearly, and be less homicidal afterwards."

Owen threw his hands up in the air, feeling his own head start to pound. "Oh fine, whatever! Just get down the hole!"

Ianto shifted on the couch, and Owen saw his knuckles go white as he gripped the seat.

"Well?"

"What?" Ianto looked at him incredulously. "You don't think I'm going to sleep down there do you?"

"Yes."

"Of course not! There's barely room for two, let alone three people."

"It's cozy!" Jack defended.

"Not to mention," Owen added. "if we leave you up here, in five minutes you'll be up and trying to work again. We'll just have to stay close. Down ya go." The doctor made shooing motions towards the hole.

"NO!" The protest came out a little stronger than perhaps Ianto intended, and the young man looking startled at his own vehemence. "No. Look I have tolerated this bossing around since last night, but I am a grown adult and I will not be treated as a child! I can make my own decisions, and I am sleeping on the bloody couch!"

"Well if I could fucking trust you to actually stay on the couch and not decide to get up and do paperwork, or clean something, or _drink coffee_ maybe I could let you out of my sight! But every time I do that you wind up curled in a ball in pain again! So get down there now, or I will just fucking sedate you!" Owen bellowed back.

"Guys..." Jack sounded pained, rubbing one ear. "Ianto? Please? We even promise we're too tired to crack any threesome jokes?"

Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am not going to bed with you. If you two have no trust in me whatsoever, why don't you just lock me in one of the cells?"

Jack moved closer to Ianto, not quite touching. If Owen were asked to define it, he would probably use the word 'hovering'.

"Ianto we trust you. We're just feeling...needy right now. We want you close to us. Please?" He brought out his worst puppy eyed pitiful expression. If it wouldn't spoil the effect, Owen would have been tempted to snicker. Manipulation and flirting had always been Jack's strong suit.

Ianto didn't give in, though Owen could see the muscles in his jaw twitching. "I will sleep on the couch up here. Take it or leave it. I could always just go home."

Owen began to protest, but Jack jumped up clamped a hand over Owen's mouth. He tapped the Bluetooth on his ear "Gwen. You and Tosh are in ch- Yes. Ianto's fine. You two are in charge. Wake us if the world's going to end."

Ianto flopped back on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest glaring up at Owen.

Owen glared back, crossing his own arms. Exhausted Ianto was usually easier to deal with. It didn't help that he was starting to get tired himself. Stretched out, patience worn thin. He was still half tempted to grab the Welshman and shove him down into Jack's bedroom headfirst. "I swear to god if I find out you weren't asleep I will handcuff you to the bed."

"Bite me Owen." Ianto growled, dropping his suit jacket on the floor and abruptly turning over, presenting his back to the two men, burrowing into the back of the couch.

Jack picked up Ianto's jacket, folding it neatly and laying it across his desk before pushing Owen towards the bedroom below. "Sleep tight! " He said. Too bright and loud. "Sweet dreams, see you in a few hours." He told Ianto.

Owen stopped and stared at Ianto for a few moments, not thinking of anything in particular until Jack latched on to him again, manhandling him down and towards the bed.

Maybe sleep wasn't such a bad idea. Things were getting too entirely out of hand. Sometimes he really fucking hated Torchwood.


	15. Chapter 15

They had been…different for a week, and gradually their research into the device had been shoved to the back burner. It wasn't like the rift went on holiday, and they had learned how to stay alive, even if they weren't exactly coping.

They were Torchwood, weird was what they did. So Jack sat in his office, much too early in the morning, keeping the younger man on the couch company.

Jack looked up from his work and watched Ianto sleep, listening to the slow, steady thumping of his heart. He looked peaceful. Relaxed. Face free of worry, and annoyance.

It was in quiet moments like this that Jack noticed just how young Ianto looked, like he wasn't old enough to be in the work force, let alone be the one keeping a secret organization running single handedly on fresh brew and organization.

Ianto had been handling the situation well, after the first few screaming matches. Still all hot coffee and quiet charm. A little  
quieter perhaps, a little closer. Jack shook him self and tried to concentrate on his work again.

He was getting too used to this.

It had been seven days since they had picked up the Deviled Egg. Jack had protested the name at first, but Owen had insisted, knowing that the pun would amuse Ianto, and it had.

The Egg had zapped them and Jack was getting far too used to having Ianto be attached at the hip with him and Owen. Tosh had said it was instinct. Some primal urge that kept them close, nearly always aware of each other. Watching, Listening, checking in on. Ianto was just as bad as him and Owen.

It wouldn't last. It couldn't. These things never did. Owen and Ianto only went home briefly, packing up bags of clothes, and in  
Ianto's case watering plants. Until they learned how to reverse the device's effects they had decided it was safer to stay together. Owen in Jack's room, Ianto stubbornly on the couch. Jack had worried, until Ianto admitted the couch was shades more comfortable than the bed back at his flat had ever been.

But soon, Jack realized, he and Owen would learn to control these powers and Ianto and Owen would go home to their own apartments. Things would return to normal. Or they would find out how to reverse it, and things would go back to normal. Or they'd all die and Gwen and Tosh would have to go hunt down and recruit some new people to take over and go back to normal.

Normal seemed to be unavoidable.

Whatever happened he knew he wasn't going to be able to keep this screwed up situation that managed to be wrong, and yet still comforting. The universe just seemed to hate him too much. Whenever he was really happy somewhere with someone, something came along and snatched it away from him.

He glanced up at the clock and saw the time. Almost 6 a.m. Ianto would be waking any minute. The man, when he wasn't drop dead tired, had an internal clock that bordered on scary. Jack sometimes wondered if the stopwatch was just for effect.

They'd already fallen into a schedule. Jack would get up around 4, Owen demanded company in bed if he had to stay at the hub. Jack would work quietly on paperwork, and watch over Ianto. Ianto would get up at 6, shower, dress, feed Myfanwy and the weevils, and then go back to bed for another hour, sitting carefully to avoid wrinkling his suit. When Jack had suggested Ianto just sleep until 7 he was rewarded with a disbelieving look, and a lecture about the importance of feeding schedules.

When Ianto woke the second time, Jack put away the paperwork and they would work on strengthening Ianto's shields.

Tosh and Gwen would get in eventually and Ianto disappeared, off to fix coffee and tend to his own work for a while. Jack would go down and physically drag Owen out of bed and into the showers, and they'd all go about they're normal daily work. After hours Ianto would order dinner and the rest of the evening was devoted to testing and learning to control their senses.

It was nice. It was...comfortable. Quickly becoming a scary sort of domestic. Ianto and Owen were almost never out of sensing range. Most of the time they were within a few yards of touching range.

That was another thing he was going to hate to have to give up. The constant touching. Ianto still dug his heels in and refused to so much as enter his room, but the rest of the time the touching was steady. A brush on the back walking by, a pet when setting down a mug of coffee, a touch on the shoulder while leaning over to look at something, a grounding, comforting hand on the arm while working on controlling his senses.

Of course, it was frustrating too. No matter how much he and Owen worked on getting a handle on their senses, they had failed to progress beyond the quick impersonal morning hand jobs in the shower. Small favors and all that, but Jack was beginning to climb the walls. Even those were risky. Owen had zoned the last time, and wouldn't come around until Ianto dragged him out and talked him down. Once Ianto had realized their problem he had 'hmmed' sympathetically, promised to do further research, and then suggested, jokingly, that they take up knitting.

The little touches were as maddening as they were comforting. Maybe he was just noticing something that was normal before, more now because of his senses, but god it would kill him when Ianto and Owen would no longer be there 24/7. Of course like the rest of them they were already there most of the time. The outside world pretty much ceased to exist when you joined Torchwood. But still they would leave. Go home, do whatever they did when they weren't at the hub.

Jack looked up again as he heard Ianto start to move, stretching and yawning.

"Morning, Ianto." Jack said, watching as Ianto rose from the couch and folded his blanket neatly, sliding it and the pillow underneath the furniture. His pajama bottoms were slung low on his hips, slightly twisted from a restless sleep. His shirt was wrinkled, and rose as he stretched, revealing a pale sliver of skin above the waistband of his pants.

"Morning, Sir. Jack" Ianto amended. "Coffee?" The Welshman asked, already collecting the scattered cups from the day before.

"Please." Jack smiled, leaning slightly into the arm that brushed his shoulder. "That sounds nice."

Ianto smiled and was out the door, rubbing a hand through his tousled hair.

Maybe it would stay this way for a little while longer.


	16. Chapter 16

Owen crouched against the side of a dark building. He wrinkled his nose trying to block out the smell, and scanned over the ally trying to find a sign of the alien they was tracking.

After a week of, well mostly, peace and quiet, the rift had decided their break was over. They had been lucky lately, just random rift trash, and the occasional weevil sighting, but then they got news of an alien, roaming Cardiff, targeting drunks and vagrants, leaving behind bones and yellow slime.

Ianto had come, refusing to let the new sentinels in the field with out him. After Owen found the latest victim, and recognized teeth marks on the bare bones, Ianto had allowed himself to be pushed back to the SUV with orders to monitor vital signs, and have the restraints ready.

Owen tensed as he heard the soft slide of footsteps, but relaxed when he saw Jack coming up behind him. "Any signs?" He whispered, so only Jack could hear.

Jack gave a sharp nod and pointed.

Owen followed Jack back down the ally trying to keep low and quiet.

Suddenly Jack tensed and froze head tilting. Owen stopped and watched him. Owen stilled as well, wondering if the captain was going to zone. He couldn't decide whether or not to whack him upside the head to see if he could bring him out of it. Before he could decide, Jack started with a curse and bolted. Owen followed, not knowing what he heard, but knowing it couldn't be good. He concentrated on his vision, pushing it as far ahead as he dared.

They turned a corner, both skidding to a halt as they saw Gwen and Tosh both fighting off a nasty looking creature.

It was at least three meters tall, human shaped but larger, tinged pale lavender and brandishing what Owen's medical training immediately identified as a human femur. Well shit. That was a new one. Meant it was their alien though, which made it slightly easier.

Owen had his gun drawn already, but the alien was darting and weaving, reaching out to grab an arm or tug on a piece of clothing. Playing with its food. "Stay still you purple bastard." Owen murmured, trying to draw a sight on the moving creature.

The alien spotted them and roared, tossing Tosh like a sack of laundry, she landed against a stack of crates, rolling and coming back up quickly. Owen felt of wave of anger and protectiveness sweep over him. Fuck "contain". Barney was going down.

Gwen saw them at the same time and ducked as Jack and Owen fired. The alien roared again, but went down as they emptied their clips into it.

Jack ejected the clip and slammed a full one in, keeping his gun trained on the still form as Owen ran to Tosh.

"Tosh? Can you hear me?"

Tosh groaned and shifted. "Yeah, I hear you."

"Whoa, whoa don't move till I check you out. That thing really threw you, you could have internal injures or something." Owen said as he ran his hands over her neck gently.

"I'm fine. Just...sore. And I've already moved. I'm fine."

"I swear I'm going to ban the word 'fine'! What do you people have against telling me the truth?" Owen snarled, shooting the dead alien a fierce glare, as he hands gently checked for breaks in her arms. He did a double take, as the alien seemed to disintegrate, leaving a faint yellow outline where the body had lain.

"Damn convenient, that." He murmured, turning back to Tosh. "How are you really?"

Tosh gave him a look, that he was sure translated into 'You're nuts and I'm humoring you'. Outwardly she said "Okay. I'm very sore, and would really, really like some drugs, now please. Is that better?"

Owen snorted. "Well your sense of humor is broken. Nothing new there. Lay still a minute. No sharp pain? Any trouble breathing? Blurred vision? Dizzy? Anything?"

"Owen!"

He ignored the exasperation in her voice.

"This isn't the first time I've been hurt, I know. I know you don't want to hear it, but really I'm ok." Tosh assured him pushing his hands away firmly.

Owen kept his hands near by her encase she suddenly got dizzy or anything. He watched her closely for signs of being in pain. He could never trust his teammates. He sniffed the air, wondering if he would be able to smell her pain the way he could Ianto's. Instead he smelt the coppery tang of blood.

The doctor grabbed her arm, looking at the shredded sleeve and the bloody skin underneath. It looked like a scrape. Maybe from the cement. The filthy cement. "That hurt?"

"Owen, seriously..."

Jack came over to where Owen was crouching next to her. "She okay?"

"Says she is, but I want to check her out when we get back to the hub. I'm gonna have to clean this out really good, and bandage it, but I don't see any signs of broken bones or internal injures."

Jack stared at her for a full minute, head cocked to the side.

Tosh scowled.

Gwen was crouching on the other side of Tosh, now and looking in confusion between everyone, clearly believing her whole team had gone completely insane this week.

Owen gave her a once over, frowning at the small bruise above her eye.

"Don't even start!" Gwen held up her hands. "I'm f- I'm not hurt.

Owen turned back to Tosh, and rubbed his neck, looking at the cement. All of his senses had been screaming to 'Protect!' 'Help!' 'Kill!'. perhaps not in that order exactly.

"Sorry. Er...chalk that up to general Sentinel weirdness, yeah?" he asked. Now that the alien was dead and he knew his teammates were okay he felt more than slightly foolish.

Tosh grinned. "No wonder Ianto's so freaked out when you do that to him."

Both Sentinels' eyes widened. "Ianto!"

Jack's hand slapped to his Bluetooth to call Ianto.

"Sir? Have you found a sign of the alien?"

"Ianto are you okay?" Owen demanded into his own comm.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"We got the alien. Tosh got banged up a little. We're on our way back to the SUV." Jack said.

"Tosh is hurt?" Ianto voice was concerned.

"I don't think it's that bad. But I'm gonna check her out better when we get back."

"I'm _fine_ Ianto. Owen's just being...Owen." Tosh broke in.

"You shut up! That word is now forbidden!"

"Oh whatever." Tosh rolled her eyes while she stood up with a hand from Gwen.

--

Owen wrapped the last piece of tape over the bandage and looked at Tosh again. "You sure you don't wanna take a day to rest? I'll tell Jack it's doctors orders."

"Owen!" She had had a brief reprieve of Owen's attention on the ride back, and had hoped he was back on kilter. She should have known it wouldn't last.

Owen sighed and handed her a small bottle with a few pills in it. "Take these, with food, one every 8 hours. If the pain gets worse, swelling, anything, come see me. You know the drill."

Tosh nodded and slid off the autopsy table with a hand from Owen. "Thanks Owen."

"Yeah..." Owen ran his hands though his hair and slumped against the table looking exhausted.

Tosh hesitated. "Owen? Are you okay?"

"This shouldn't have happened. I should have stopped it."

"What could you have done?"

"I'm a...Sentinel for fucks sake! I'm supposed to be some protector! And I couldn't even keep you from getting hurt! You could have died Tosh! Fallen a different way and snapped your neck!"

"Aren't you being a little melodramatic?" She asked, folding her arms over her chest.

Owen snarled, and Tosh cut him off.

"Yes and every day when I get out of bed I could trip and smash my skull in on my dresser, or get hit by a bus crossing the street, or get eaten by a weevil, or get food poisoning, so do I need to go on? Life is dangerous. Just because some alien device zapped you, or even if you were a natural, doesn't mean it's your fault if I stub my toe."

Owen shook his head and growled low in his throat, moving to roughly start cleaning up. That seemed to be default mode when he decided the conversation was over.

Tosh sighed and climbed up the stairs. She thought briefly of grabbing Ianto and throwing him into the autopsy bay. Let Owen work out his coddling issues on him. Somehow she doubted she could convince Ianto to take one for the team, and she didn't really want to be on the wrong end of a Sentinel if she got caught manhandling the Guide.

--

Jack popped out of his office as Tosh passed, and she cringed, already having an idea what was coming. "Tosh? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

She stepped into his office and he shut the door behind her.

"Tosh I want you to take a day or two off."

"Jack! It's a scratch! I've gotten worse playing sports!"

"It shouldn't-"

"It shouldn't have happened, yeah I've heard this before. You're a Sentinel. Not God. You couldn't have stopped it. No, I'm not going home, I'm going to take my pill and sit at my desk and work."

Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Tosh gave him a threatening look, and left the office, closing the door quietly as she left, muttering a stream of Japanese in a whisper pitched so Jack would overhear.

--

Ianto bought Tosh another mug of coffee, and a sandwich to take her pill with. She smiled and waited for him to leave. He hovered.

Great.

"Let me guess," she started; when it seemed obvious Ianto wasn't going to speak. "It's your fault I got injured, because you stayed by the SUV instead of killing the purple people eater with your bare hands? You should have been there for your Sentinels, or your teammates."

Ianto stared at her for a moment, and she felt her blood pressure begin to inch up. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

Ianto watched her steadily. "It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on my opinion. I take it then you're not leaving?"

"No."

Ianto quirked a small smile at her and pulled a bar of fine chocolate out of his jacket pocket. "This might help. You're on your own, though, if Owen smells it."

She glanced down at the label. Her favorite of course, and she had been craving some ever since they had gotten back. She always did after missions that became a little too adventurous.

Tosh looked up to thank Ianto but he had already slipped off, disappearing down into the autopsy bay.

Dealing with Sentinels she decided, and Guides, was turning out to be far more interesting than she hand imagined. She unwrapped the chocolate bar with a sigh, biting off a large chunk, but then started to smile. Interesting wasn't always bad.


	17. Chapter 17

Gwen knocked on Jack's door. She was fairly certain she was safe making sure both Owen and Ianto were in sight, and not inside, so there was less risk of getting her head bitten off. It's not like it was her fault that Ianto picked up on her emotions so easily, but if the man so much as winced around her she had two snarling Sentinels at her throat.

Tosh had decided the over protectiveness was just another side effect of the device and she had even given it a name. HSS. Hysterical Sentinel Syndrome. Ianto had been delighted, immediately penning the phrase "HSSy fits" to describe such episodes.

"Come in Gwen!" Jack called.

"How'd you know it was me?" She asked, tapping the closed blinds.

"Super hearing?"

"Oh right...well that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been doing some research, and I got into contact with that Dr Sandburg-"

"Gwen!" Jack sounded appalled. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing! I just told him, I'd read his paper, and I'm writing a novel, and thought Sentinels would be interesting to write into my fictional universe. He just thinks I'm pumping him for a few details, for a book."

"Oh. That's different." Jack gave her a flirty grin. "Is it a romance?"

To her credit, Gwen only blushed slightly before bulldozing over Jack's question.

"He had a few suggestions. Like mediation. It can help both Guides and Sentinels to deal with the stress, and better control their powers."

Jack made a face. "Meditation? As in candles, incense, crystals and chanting? Gwen I've seen a lot of weird things in my time, but come on..."

Gwen shrugged. "Hey he's the expert. That's just what he said. I took notes, and saved our emails to the hub mainframe so you can access them." She frowned and continued, a little defensively. "I just was trying to help. I know all of this has been hard on you guys." Gwen handed over a folder.

"Gwen, look I'm sorry, this has all been pretty...weird. Who am I to judge mediation and crystals and stuff? Right? Thanks for getting this information for us. I'll show Owen and Ianto."

Gwen gave him a bright smile then left, closing the door behind her again.

Jack wrinkled his nose at the folder. Meditation? Okay yeah so he'd heard of it, it was still around even by his time. But sitting in a smoky room just...sitting there for hours, contemplating his navel? How could that help? The most it would do was piss Owen off. And crystals? Unless they were in a computer consul, he could care less. They certainly hadn't done Estelle any good. Jack sighed and flipped though the paperwork, seeing what else Gwen had found out.

---

"You're fucking kidding me." Owen groused from his spot beside Jack on the couch, though he was glaring at Ianto like it was somehow the younger man's fault. Ianto just shrugged.

They were gathered in Jack's office again, eating take out Chinese. Jack and Owen were still wearing the clothes they had worn during the day, but Ianto had shed his suit for a pair of pajama bottoms and an old shirt. Jack had ruled that after normal business hours his office became his house, and he had a very strict dress code that forbade suits.

"No, Gwen really talked to this Sandburg guy. And he told her meditation helps Sentinels." Jack said leaning back on the couch, stretching out and running a hand down Owen's back.

"That's crap!"

"Owen, come on. You're a doctor." Ianto scolded lightly, twisting his chopstick through a pile of noodles.. "You know mediation is proven to help lower blood pressure, and help, or even cure, some stress related illnesses. And it's not like all this is exactly a stress free environment."

Owen made a face. "Okay fine, whatever. But what does that have to do with our stupid senses? How is sitting in a dark stinky room going to do anything but make us throw up, or zone out, or _die_?"

"Stop bring dramatic. You don't have to use incense. It's not mandatory. Some people just find that it helps them."

"How the bloody hell do you know anyway? You're certainly not meditating, or your blood pressure wouldn't be though the roof!"

"Tosh meditates. She's told me about it before. And...Uh, I took some classes with Lisa when I was trying to get her attention. It wasn't that horrible." Ianto gave them a small grin. "I didn't get much out of it... but at the time that wasn't really the point."

Owen smirked, and Jack looked as if was about to say something.

"So, I say we do it." Ianto smoothly directed the conversation back to the original topic. "If nothing else it'll help with all our stress levels. Even get Gwen and Tosh in on it. Tosh might be willing to lead the meditations. We can do it first thing in the morning when everyone gets in. Don't give me those looks, we'll start small. 10 minutes sessions and see how it works."

Owen scoffed. "Then what? We progress to drum circles?"

Jack stepped in, though he privately thought Owen had a valid point. "Ok we'll try it. Talk to Tosh and set it up. We'll give it a couple days-"

"Weeks. Mediation can take time to fix problems."

Jack made a face. _"Okay._ We'll give it two weeks and see if it helps any."

Ianto nodded, smiling slightly, and Jack couldn't help but grin. It was the smile the younger man gave when he had just gotten his way, which was more often than not lately.

"I'll speak to her in the morning then." The Ianto said. "For now why don't we concentrate on testing your senses? I've been working on some new tests."

Jack laughed as Owen protested, letting the man fall against him with a theatrical groan. He didn't know why Owen protested so much. Jack kind of liked the tests himself.


	18. Chapter 18

Ianto sighed at Owen's theatrics. The man acted like testing his new abilities was torture. Ianto tried to think of tests the doctor might enjoy but it didn't seem to matter. To the Owen's credit though, he did at least go along with the tests, and at times he flat out amazed Ianto at how quickly he was getting a handle on his new senses. Perhaps the doctor in him was able to approach it scientifically?

"I bought some aromatherapy oils." Ianto said, pulling a small bag out of Jack's desk.

Owen groaned.

Ianto ignored him and continued.

"-That I'm going to place a tiny amount of on index cards and hide around Jack's office. It's your mission to track down all the cards and identify the scents."

"So I'm a fucking blood hound now?"

"Yes. Now go play in the hub till I'm finished setting this up."

Owen rolled his eyes and got up to leave, grumbling about being treated like a five year old.

Jack chuckled and watched as Ianto pulled out the stack of cards and bottles of oil. "Interesting idea. What's my torture for tonight?"

"Oh you'll find out soon enough. Close the blinds will you I don't trust him not to peak." Ianto told him with a smirk while he dabbed minute amounts of oil on the cards and hid them, spreading them throughout the office. When he finished he impulsively grabbed one of the bottles, and dabbed a drop of it on to the back of Jack's neck. "For fun, to see if he catches it." He said at Jack's raised eyebrow.

When he finished he closed all the bottles and put them back in the drawer so Owen wouldn't be able to read the labels. "Okay Owen! Come in!"

Owen scowled and came back into the office, shutting the door.

Ianto smiled, reinforcing the shaky shield he had erected earlier as he felt a wave of what could only be described as grumpiness roll off the Sentinel. He reached out, laying one hand on Owen's elbow.

"Concentrate on the scents in the room. If you smell something familiar, concentrate on it, let it become stronger than the others, until it leads you to the card."

Owen closed his eyes, visibly concentrating and Ianto let his hand drop, but stayed near him ready to step in if he started to zone or had a problem.

"It smells like stale sex. It's getting in the way of everything" The doctor commented with a wrinkle of his nose.

Ianto sighed. Not his fault. "Focus on that scent. Acknowledge it, and then let it go." He waited until Owen nodded. "Good. Now that it's gone, focus on the other scents. The one's that weren't here before."

Owen slowly tracked over to the filing cabinet and pulled the top drawer open He pulled out a card. "Peppermint."

"Good. That's one down." Ianto took the card and placed it on Jack's desk.

"How many are there?"

"That would be telling."

Owen snarled without any real malice and shook him self moving on, sniffing. He reached onto a high shelf, wriggling a little as he tried to reach. Ianto was in the position to lightly smack Jack as the captain leered. "Behave," he whispered, pitched only for Jack's sensitive ears.

Owen pulled down another card. "...Patchouli?"

"Correct."

He pulled a card out from under the chair cushion. "Rosemary."

Another from a shelf. "Orange."

He pulled a card out from the desk drawer. "Cinnamon."

He found the one under the computer. "Tea Tree."

It continued that way, Owen finding each card and naming the sent. He knelt down next to the couch and pulled out a wrinkled blue tie. He tossed Ianto a filthy leer.

"That is not a index card." Ianto said stiffly. He had been missing that tie for ages, since before Jack left. He had even accused Jack of stealing it once,

"Hm no. But it still smells like you." Owen wrapped it around his fingers, bringing it up to his nose, "...and sex, which explains the smell earlier. That's been bugging me all week!"

Ianto reached out and grabbed the tie, stuffing it hurriedly in his pocket.

"Yes well, bonus points for you then. Get back to sniffing. You're not done."

Owen rolled his eyes and stuck his head back under the couch, making a face as he came back out waving a card. "...Rotting flowers?"

"Neroli." Ianto informed him.

"Neroli? What the fuck is neroli?"

"A scent that clearly you are unfamiliar with."

Owen sighed and tossed the card at Ianto. "Am I done yet? I'm getting a headache."

Ianto moved forward slightly, brushing his fingers along Owen's spine. "You've done amazingly well. Just one more."

Owen groaned and continued his search, circling the office twice before catching on. "Lavender." he said pulling a card from Jack's coat pocket. Then he frowned. He sniffed the air again. "In two places."

He continued to track and found him self climbing on top of Jack. "You smell like lavender too." he muttered, nose buried in Jack's neck. The captain was grinning broadly.

Ianto smiled as well, though his was a good deal smaller. "Very good. You got all of them, and only couldn't identify the neroli. That's very good Owen."

Owen made a vague grunt at Ianto but kept his face buried in Jack's neck, sniffing. Jack didn't seem to mind.

"Ahem. Yes well.. well done Owen." Ianto felt a vague itch of lustfulness, and clamped his shield down tighter.

"I'll have to make it more challenging next time. Maybe blends of scents on each card."

Owen continued to ignore him

"You can get off Jack now. You know you're not going to get anywhere, right?"

Ianto might as well have not been in the room for as much attention as they were paying him. They were going further, not just sniffing, but kissing, hands drifting.

Ianto covered his eyes and sighed, sitting on the couch. In a few minutes they would start to zone. They'd stop in time, curse loudly, and badger Ianto some more about figuring out some type of solution. It wasn't like he hadn't tried. There wasn't exactly an instruction manual. He knew. He had looked.

Ianto refused to think as things continued and firmly ignored the shirt that flew by his head.

It was harder to ignore and moaning, panting, growling and filthy talk though.

"Oh god Jack! Fuck yeah!"

"You taste irresistible. I want to you so bad I could kill. Fuck I want anything bad enough to kill right now!"

"No fucking kidding!"

Ianto rolled his eyes. Really it was a week. They acted like they'd been in chastity belts for a year. They were acting like horny teenagers, and sounded like a cheap porno.

Ianto startled himself by growling when he heard the sound of zippers.

"Well since you two seem to have gotten over you're inability to…" he searched for the right word, failed, and then steamed ahead, "I'll be leaving."

"Feel free to join in if you want! Always love a good threesome!" Owen called out teasingly, not stopping what he was doing. Whatever it was he was doing. Ianto wasn't looking

He left the office, pulling the door closed, and leaned against it for a second, trying to catch his breath. He could hear them inside, stumbling towards the couch.

Ianto moved away from the door, wanting to just go bury him self in the archives, but having a feeling he would be needed soon. He was thankful at least that Jack had been helping him with his shields. Half of the time he was able to separate Jack and Owen's emotions from the pain that seemed to permeate the emotions of others. The rest of the time he could usually shield himself from them.

He headed for the coffee pot but froze at the base of the stairs as the now familiar stab of pain and panic drove in between his ribs. He turned back, heading quickly for the office.

Ianto opened the door to find the two men on the couch, wearing far less clothing than before, and completely motionless.

Swallowing back a taste of fear, he calmly moved over to them and started to talk them down.

"Owen? Coc Oen? Come on, time to come back." he covered Owen's eyes gently, and stroked his shoulder, kneeling down to reach the man that Jack had pinned to the couch. "Come and wake up and talk to me Coc Oen. I told you this would happen."

Owen eyes snapped open and he pulled back with a gasp, letting out a stream of obscenities as he exhaled. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck! Am I never going to get to fuck again?"

"Looks like that's a no." Ianto said dryly and moved to Jack. He had to wriggle, moving in between Owen and Jack to look the captain in the eye. He flushed as he felt Owen's breath through his thin shirt.

"Jack? Jack Love, Come on, come back to me. Breathe, relax. It's okay; it's all right, talk to me. Focus on my voice and come back to me." He stroked Jack's cheek while he spoke gently.

After a minute life returned to Jack's eyes and he surged forward pulling Ianto into a kiss. Ianto made a startled noise and tried to pull away, but Jack held on tightly, fingers wrapping in his hair.

Ianto's eyes widened as he felt Owen lean into him.

"It's you." Owen's voice whispered in his ear and Ianto jerked. "Fuck me, but it's you."

Ianto tore himself away from Jack, and tried to turn to face the other man, gasping as he was stopped by a mouth against the back of his neck.

"What do you mean 'it's me'?' He tried to sound indignant, but his voice cracked.

"Letting us do this. Not zoning out again. Not with you here. It's you. " Owen said, punctuating his words with small bites and kisses to Ianto's neck. Jack had begun to mirror Owen's example on the other side of his neck, and Ianto felt his head swim.

Ianto shook his head violently, and pulled him self free of the two men. He fell back, momentarily landing on Owen, but jerking away as he felt the man's arms coming up to steady him, or restrain him. Ianto wasn't sure. He kept backing up, sliding across the floor until his back hit a wall.

Ianto panted, running his hands though his hair. "Look. Look, I know you two are frustrated, but that does not mean… you can't..." he was at a loss for words again. He knotted his fingers around a curl and yanked. "You can't just jump me!" he blurted out.

Owen looked over at him, and then flopped back down, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Ianto come on, please! We're gonna die here! It's been a week! A _week_! We're used to shagging all over all day, everyday!"

Jack was giving Ianto a look that wavered between concern and frustration.

Ianto rolled his eyes. Now that he had a good metre between them he could think again, and his heart was starting to beat normally. "Oh for gods sake, you act like you've never gone without sex before!"

"Haven't" Jack mumbled.

Owen nodded.

"...Never?" Ianto asked.

"No. Not unless I was stuck working or something, and even then I could normally find someone to get a quick shag with."

"I even had a few guards during the whole year that never happened." The cushion muffled Jack's voice.

"Yes, well...that's very disturbing, but not the point!" Ianto felt his own frustration welling up, and wished for once that he could throw his feelings at the two men. "We're just going to have to find another way. Maybe the mediation! I'm not going to have sex with you two, just because you're… you're… raging sluts who can't go a week without sex!" Ianto blinked, briefly surprised at the words he had chosen.

Owen seemed to have recovered slightly, doubled over hugging his knees dramatically, and Ianto felt a trace of amusement mixed in with the other man's annoyance. "Death take me now! I can't live like this!"

Ianto snorted and leaned against the wall falling into a soft sort of hysterical laughter.

Jack and Owen both sat up, frustration forgotten, and Ianto grimaced at the wave of concern that swept over his broken shield.

"Yan? You...okay?"

"You- you are just such drama queens! My god I've never heard anyone so dramatic over going a _week_ without sex!" The edge of pain quieted Ianto, though a giggle still slipped through. "I mean, I've gone months and not been nearly as hysterical as you two!"

"...Months?"

"Well and 20 years, but that hardly counts."

Owen stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "20..."

Ianto smirked at the touch of disbelief from Owen. "Yes, 20. You can both close your mouths. And since then I have survived." Ianto stopped to think. "A year without having any sex. In fact, I'm going on seven months at the moment. And you two are going to whine about one week?"

Jack looked slightly astonished, while Owen looked alarmed. "Uh Yan, maybe we should go to the autopsy bay and run some tests."

Ianto rolled his eyes and pushed him self off the floor still chuckling. "I'm fi-" he paused not saying the dreaded F word, that seemed to equal 'dying! Run every test in the universe!' to Owen, "I'm not sick, or insane. I'm just...beyond tired of dealing with your insanity. It's sex. Yes it's a basic human instinct, but normal people are able to ignore it, and live their lives!"

Neither of the men looked convinced, though they did look vaguely chastised.

He brushed him self off and straightened his clothes. "Now I'm going to go make some coffee. You two get dressed and we can get back to practicing your senses."

As soon as he was out the door, and a safe distance away he collapsed into Tosh's chair.

Christ. This had not been in the job description. Those two, without a doubt, were going to be the death of him.

He laughed softly to himself.

Oh, but what a way to go.


	19. Chapter 19

When Ianto came back he was carrying a tray with the coffees, the handles of a shopping bag around his wrist.

Jack and Owen were suspiciously silent, still exchanging looks.

Ianto chose to ignore them. He was just glad that they had listened and gotten dressed. He set the bag down and handed Owen and Jack their coffees. "Okay, it's Jack's turn now. We're going to work on your sense of touch. I need you to sit on the floor though."

Ianto had leaned that it was easier if he could sit facing his Sentinels, at eye level. Once Jack was sitting comfortably, Ianto sat  
down across from him.

Touch was new. It had taken him awhile to find a test that Jack couldn't twist into some type of foreplay. A very,very, long while.

They had tried taste the night before, with disastrous results. Ianto had snuck a single peppercorn into the coffee grinds, and Jack had spent the entire night with his tongue stuck in a mug of cold milk, glaring at him.

Jack was still having trouble more often and as much as Jack hated to admit it, it seemed that Owen was latching on to his senses more quickly.

"I've got some thing's here were going to be using. First," He reached into the bag and pulled out a blue eye mask. "A blind fold."

"Oooh kinky! I like." Jack gave Ianto a filthy grin.

Ianto refused to acknowledge it. "You're going to wear this, then I'm going to give you some items. You're going to identify them by touch."

Owen bit his lip; trying to keep from laughing, and failing. "Does that- does that say Princess?"

Ianto sighed. "It was all they had at the store,"

"S'okay. I'm the Princess." Jack said with a grin and slipped the mask on. He swiveled his head towards Ianto again. "Okay master! I'm ready."

Ianto rolled his eyes and pulled out a sheet of construction paper with writing on it in crayon and handed it to Jack.

"Okay it's paper. Heavy, thick paper." Jack ran his fingers over the surface. "There's...something on it. Waxy."

"Can you tell what it is?"

"Um letters, I think." Jack traced it with his fingers. Ianto reached out, resting the palm of his hand on one of Jack's knees, smiling as Jack's frown of concentration lightened a little.

"Take your time. Build a mental image of what you're feeling."

"Hello" Jack said at last after a minute slowly running his fingers over the paper.

"Very good!"

Jack grinned. "This is fun! Next?" he reached out blindly.

Ianto pulled out a small chalkboard and handed it to Jack.

"Uh..Hmm. It's a...slate? With...chalk on it. I think." He scratched his nails against it experimentally, and Ianto shuddered.

"Good, now what's it say?"

Jack lightly, ran his fingers over the board focusing. Ianto watched him closely, making sure his captain didn't focus too intently.

"J-A-C-K. Jack." Jack's grin was blinding.

Owen was rolling his eyes. "Are we in kindergarten?"

"I'm starting off slow. Don't want to overwhelm you too soon." Ianto was surprised. This was going faster then he'd planed. Jack was good at this.

"Just saying my tests were harder. Not fair."

"Well think of it this way. Your skills are higher then Jack's." Ianto smiled as he saw Owen fight back a pleased grin.

"More?" Jack him self was grinning like mad and behaving like a bouncy puppy. Ianto was nearly sure it was deliberate act on the Captain's part.

"Okay, let's try something harder." Ianto stood up and got a notebook off Jack's desk. He settled back down and wrote a message, tearing off the first page and handing the pad to Jack.

Jack frowned. "Hm my notebook?"

"I know. But tell me what I wrote. Feel the indentions the pen left."

"...okay." Jack tilted his head focusing as he lightly ran his fingertips over the page. "It's longer then the others."

"You're doing good so far, try."

Jack mumbled to him self for a minute, going back to recheck certain letters.

Ianto shifted closer, hand pressed more firmly against Jack's knee.

Jack reviewed the letters once more and laughed out loud.

Owen reached over and snatched the notebook, squinting as he studied the paper. "'Owen is a pain in the arse'? Oi!"

Ianto grinned and handed Owen the top sheet to show him that he and Jack had been right. "Very good. Both of you. You seem to be learning fast."

"Instinct. It seems like this whole thing is being ruled by instincts." Jack said.

"I supposed that's good. We'd all have been a lot worse, or rather...ahem. If we didn't have these answers just coming to us."

"More?" Jack asked, reaching out for something to feel. His hand landed on Ianto's thigh where he was promptly distracted by the raised pattern on his pajamas. "Ooh..."

"Jack..." Ianto rubbed his forehead feeling a headache beginning to come on.

"It's little...coffee cups. And they're warm!"

"Hey! If I can't grope the Tea Boy, neither can you!" Owen objected.

"...Ianto? Whoops." Jack didn't sound particularly sorry. His grin didn't make him look very innocent, and he didn't move his hand.

Ianto took the notebook from Owen and whacked Jack's sensitive hand with it.

"Ow!" Jack yanked his hand back, shaking it, pouting.

"I –" Ianto stopped, took a calming breath and started over. "That's enough for tonight. Testing time is over." Ianto stood up and started packing the supplies away into the shopping bags.

"Sorry. Ianto." Jack pulled the mask off and gasped sharply in pain, throwing a hand over his eyes.

"Jack?" Owen and Ianto both said, nearly in unison, both giving him concerned looks.

"Sorry. Bright." Jack still had a hand over his eyes. Ianto knelt down beside him, touching his shoulder lightly.

"Picture a dial. Like on an old radio or TV. Put a label on it that says pain. It's turned up as far as it can go. Concentrate on that  
picture. Can you see it clearly?"

Jack nodded, leaning into Ianto's touch.

"Slowly turn it down, until the pain fades. Slowly." He instructed.

Jack blinked rapidly as he did as he was told, smiling a little. "That...was cool."

Ianto gave a small smile and plucked the mask from his hand, returning it to the bag. "It was one of the things Dr. Sandburg  
mentioned. I was reading though the emails this afternoon."

Ianto put the bag at the end of the couch and stared at Owen calmly, arms crossed. The other man looked up at him with a blank, uncomprehending expression. "...What?"

"You're sitting on my bed."

"Oh. Well you could always..." Ianto looked Owen in the eye. He decided, quite calmly, that he was going to scream if the other man finished that sentence.

Owen trailed off. He gave a sheepish shrug, as if to say 'hey, I had to try'. He stood up and pulled Jack to his feet. "Bed time. We're being sent to our room."

"Mmm, we're being sent to bed? I don't whether I should be turned on, or patronized." Jack seemed to contemplate the question seriously, running his hands over the large coral on his desk, as if feeling it for the first time. "Hm. Well night, Ianto. See you in the morning."

The two Sentinels descended the ladder, and Ianto made up his bed silently, before turning off the light and slipping between the  
sheets. He stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes. Jack and Owen seemed to be getting a handle on their enhanced senses fairly quickly. And now Owen seemed to think he knew how to cure their enforced chastity.

Ianto groaned. And wasn't that just a wonderful cure. The man he had loved, and the man he had… screwed, both sexual addicts, couldn't get their jollies without him in the room. And they both seemed perfectly fine with the idea.

He refused to get in the middle of whatever sort of relationship the two men had, and after four months, and buying a bed together, there was no other word for it. He wouldn't screw things up, and when they were thinking rationally again they would agree with him. He just had to find another way

Ianto slid off of the couch. Sleep wouldn't be coming soon. He settled down, cross-legged on the floor. Maybe the answer would come to him if he meditated for a little while. He wasn't quite sure he was doing it right, but it seemed to be working. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slipping quickly into his own mind.


	20. Chapter 20

Owen whined and swatted at the hand that was physically dragging him from his comfortable, warm cocoon of blankets.

"Jaaaack! Aw come on," he grabbed on to a corner of the mattress and tried to hang on. "Do we have to do this every morning?"

"Look on the bright side." Jack, Owen decided, was too goddamn chipper. "At least this week you're actually getting to work somewhat on time, for the first time since I hired you."

"Oh yes. I'm thrilled beyond fucking belief!" Owen growled as Jack herded him up the ladder from their bedroom.

"Oh Owen. What would I do without you, you morning ray of sunshine? You're just so perky and cheerful! It brightens the whole room!"

Owen pushed down the urge to shoot his teasing lover though the forehead.

Jack pulled him in for a quick, but passionate kiss, then pushed him out of the office.

Owen frowned at the dark and quiet in the hub. "Jack! Gwen and Tosh aren't even here yet, why are you waking me up early?"

"We're meditating when they get here, remember?"

Owen made a disgusted noise. "It's not even a guarantee yet. Ianto only said he'd talk to Tosh. She could say no. I'm going back to sleep." He headed back for Jack's office.

Jack grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pushed him towards the showers. "No. Ianto wants to do this, and we're going to be supportive. Even if it kills us."

"I bet it will." Owen said sulking.

"I already talked to Tosh on the phone this morning." Ianto said as they passed by him. "She thought it was a brilliant idea. She's bringing some cushions, music and things in with her." The Welshman held up a cup of coffee, without looking away from the computer screen. Owen grabbed it, and drank it quickly as he stumbled down the cold halls.

"Wonderful." Owen muttered as Jack gave him a light shove into the locker room.

"Oh don't pout. I don't like it any more then you, and I doubt it's going to help, but it can't hurt, it's a couple minutes a day, and it'll make Ianto happy."

"_Fine,_ but I swear to god if there's incense I'm walking out of there!"

Jack smirked and shoved Owen under the cold spray, making him yelp. "Deal."

---

Everyone was gathered in the conference room. A CD of soft forest noises was playing and the lights were dimmed. Someone, probably Ianto, had shoved the table to one side.

Tosh smiled at them all. "Okay, first get comfortable. You can sit in a chair, sit on the floor, lay down, whatever works for you." She waited a few minutes while everyone shifted around. Only Jack and Tosh herself stayed in the chairs. Gwen and Ianto sat cross-legged on the floor, and Owen stretched out between them, on his stomach with his head hidden in his arms.

"Relax. Close your eyes and take a slow deep breath...and out. Imagine all your stress and tension flowing from your body like water." She watched as they all did so.

"Breathe in...and out. Starting at your feet slowly, gently tense your feet, then release, tense, release. Now tense your calves, and release. Tense, release. Tense your thighs, and release, tense, release." Tosh slowly worked her way up the body, having them tense and release muscles as they went. She frowned slightly as she realized Ianto was completely still, not following along with the others. Well, at least he looked relaxed.

She continued, paying special attention to Jack and Owen's reactions. Ianto had told her what to look for in case they started having problems. "Now reach your eyebrows all the way up, feel the tension in the top of your head, hold it...and release." She tried to keep the giggle out of her voice as Jack waggled his eyebrows at her. She nudged him and he went still again, relaxing further into the chair.

"And relax. Now focus on your breathing. Slowly, deeply. In 1-2-3-4, and hold, 1-2-3-4-5. Out 1-2-3-4," For the time being Tosh just wanted to get them all used to relaxing, before she even thought about trying to mention anything metaphysical with them. She knew Owen and Jack weren't too thrilled with this in the first place, so best to just get them used to relaxing for a few minutes at a time.

"As you breathe feel your self going deeper and deeper. More and more relaxed. Now picture a calm lake. You're sitting, floating, in the middle of it. You can see the gentle movement of the water; you can see the tree on the shore waving gently in the breeze. Feel the peace and calm sink into every cell of your body. You are completely relaxed. You can come here any time you need to feel peaceful and relaxed. This is your special space."

Jack snickered and she nudged him again.

Tosh let the music play, taking the time to walk through the initial relaxation again silently. If they kept this up she was going to have to see if one of the others could guide the meditations as well. Ianto would, without a doubt, be great at it. She had heard the voice he used on Jack and Owen when they were working with their senses. If she could dip that voice in chocolate and sell it… Tosh coughed quietly.

"Now it's time to come back. Every time you meditate you will go deeper, and deeper, quicker and easier. I am now going to count to 5. When I get to 5, you will wake up feeling refreshed, alert, and still relaxed. 1, coming out slowly, 2, 3, awake and alert, 4, 5, fully awake." Tosh opened her eyes and stretched, looking over at Gwen and Jack doing the same. Owen was laying motionless.

"Owen? Owen are you okay?" Tosh asked.

Jack tilted his head with that look that said he was listening with his enhanced hearing, and then rolled his eyes. "He's asleep."

Gwen snorted and rolled her eyes. "Of course. Want me to kick him? I don't mind. Really."

Tosh chuckled and glanced over at Ianto who appeared to still be meditating.

"Why don't we try again for a bit longer, till Ianto comes out, then we can kick Owen, and give him some coffee or something, before trying this again tomorrow."

Jack and Gwen looked at Ianto and shrugged. Jack didn't look thrilled but he shifted to get more comfortable and closed his eyes again.

Tosh led them back though breathing and relaxing exercise, feeling her self easily slip into a relaxed state again.

After several minutes she pulled them all out for a second time. Only, again, Ianto failed to come out.

"Jack? I- I don't know. He's not waking up." Tosh tried to keep the worry out of her voice. " I mean…if you want to you can ignore the whole 'you will wake up' part and stay longer, but you can still hear the outside world and he should be waking up."

Jack frowned, concerned and tilted his head again, watching Ianto's chest. His eyes widened and he was at Ianto's side instantly. "His pulse is slow. Breathing shallow. Ianto? Sweetheart, mediation time's over. Time to wake up."

Gwen gasped and sharply jabbed Owen in the ribs He shot up and started to yell, but his eyes shot to Ianto and jack, and he bolted over. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"He's not waking up."

"I fucking told you this was a lousy idea!" Owen snarled, pressing his fingers against Ianto's throat. "Shit. He's freezing. Yan, wake up!"

Ianto's slow steady breathing didn't change.

Gwen looked concerned, even more so when she seemed to realize Ianto hadn't flinched at the emotion. She and Tosh both moved to join the men on the floor. "Ianto?" Gwen said quietly, reaching out to touch a cold cheek. "Love, you're making us all worry. Please? Please wake up?" she tried.

"Ianto? They're never going to meditate again if you don't get back here now!" Tosh warned lightly, reaching out to stroke his hand.

Jack threaded his finger though Ianto's hair, mussing it. "Come on Yan, you're scaring me! We're the ones who zone. Not you!"

"Not fair! You're stealing our job! Get back here right now!" Owen ordered, shaking him slightly. Ianto moved easily with the motion, but didn't seem to be any closer to waking up.

Jack stroked Ianto's arms and back like he'd seen him do to Owen during zone outs. "Come on, please? Come back to us?" he looked up at Tosh, and she hated the fact that all she could do was shake her head, just as lost as the rest of them.

"Ianto you wake up now! Or...or I'll touch your coffee pot!" Owen growled threateningly, a shaky hand running up and down Ianto's crossed legs.

Ianto's eyes snapped open. "Don't you dare! You're deadly!" He was going to rant further, but he swayed suddenlt, and four sets of hands reached out to steady him,

"Is...something wrong?" he blinked up owlishly at Tosh. " Did it go okay?"

"You wouldn't wake up." Owen snarled gripping Ianto's wrist now instead of feeling his pulse against his throat. "Lay down. Gwen go get my kit!"

Ianto tried to shake him off. "Owen I'm fine. I was meditating. That's what we're doing in here remember?"

"You were really deep. I've never seen someone go that far." Tosh said, resisting the urge to reach out again. Ianto never did seem to be comfortable with personal contact at the best of times.

Ianto opened his mouth to argue, but pushed him self off the floor instead, stepping carefully over Jack. He headed out of the room, stumbling slightly

"Phone!" He called after him, and Tosh could hear the relief in his voice. She put a hand on Jack's shoulder to keep him from following, and saw Gwen do the same with Owen.

"...What the hell was that?" Owen demanded, staring after the fleeing man.

Jack shrugged. "Uh. I know as much as you. Which is pretty much nothing."

A phone rung quietly in the main hub. They looked at each other.

Tosh rubbed her temples. "That was weird. I've never in my life, seen anyone go that deep into meditation the first time. I've heard of people going that deep, but it takes years and years of meditating, sometimes for hours a day, everyday. Not just a first lesson, and he's there in 10 minutes!"

"We are _not _doing that again!" Owen put his foot down. "Ever! I told you it was a stupid idea! But do you listen to me? Nooo! And Ianto nearly winds up in a coma! His pulse was slow, his breathing shallow. He was cold as a fucking ice cube."

Jack nodded, looking guilty and concerned. "I shouldn't have let him talk me into it."

"We should try again." Tosh said, thinking of ways to understand what had happened. "Maybe run some scans at the same time, and see what happens." There had to be some scientific explanation. Maybe if they knew how it worked.

"No!" Owen barked harshly. "We're not risking Ianto's health so you can play mad scientist!"

"He doesn't look hurt." Gwen tried to sound reasonable. "He woke up and was just confused about why we were hovering over him, then he was flying out of here."

"And what was that? That whole, 'phone!' and then it rings a second later?" Owen asked.

Tosh opened her mouth, then closed it and shrugged. "I'm not sure. That's why we should try it again, and see what happens. And stop growling at me Owen." The man was actually, literally growling, and it was more than a little unsettling

Owen visibly bit back another grumble, and crossed his arms over his chest.

Jack rubbed a hand over Owen's back comfortingly. "It's okay. It's fine. Ianto's always been a bit... "

"Weird?" Owen suggested.

"Good at knowing what we need. He always has the coffee ready as soon as we finish a cup, has the files we need before we ask. This must be the same thing. Maybe a little...sharper."

Owen shook his head. "I don't care. We're not doing this again, end of story. I'm going to get to work. And run some scans on Ianto when he's not looking."

The rest of them followed Owen out of the conference room and headed to their own desks. There was a steaming cup of coffee on each one, though Ianto was noticeably absent.

Tosh reached out and grabbed Owen again as he headed towards the archives. An over-protective, over-bearing Sentinel was not what Ianto needed at the moment. He just needed some time to gather himself back up. Tosh knew that when he was ready Ianto would slip back in with a file or artifact, like he had never been gone.

Owen growled at her again.

Frankly she could do with a bit of hiding herself.


	21. Chapter 21

"Ianto? Can we talk? I made Jack swear not to listen."

Ianto quickly closed out of the solitaire game he had been running as Tosh entered the tourist office. He'd taken refuge in the store front to escape from Owen and his clumsy attempts of covertly pointing scanners at him. Ianto still kept a close eye on his sentinels on the CCTV.

"I don't think his hearing's quite that sharp." Ianto reassured with a smile, and Tosh took it as an invitation, hopping up lightly to sit on the desk.

"Do you have any idea what happened this morning?" Tosh dove right in. Ianto had always liked the woman's directness.

Ianto shrugged. He really had no clue, and wasn't quite sure why everyone was so upset. "I was meditating as usual, relaxing and then all of you were suddenly hovering over me, feeling worried."

"As usual? You've been meditating before this?"

Ianto blushed and looked sheepish. "I run the hub mainframe. I found Gwen's emails before she told Jack about them, and I've been trying some of the things for a few days now."

Tosh laughed and shook her head. "Oooh you sneaky little thing!"

Ianto pretended to be offended. "It's my job to be five steps ahead of you lot." He protested.

"So...you didn't notice anything different this time?"

"Well...I was in a forest. I was chasing this...dog again. A really large, beautiful dog though the woods. I- I don't know why, I just wanted to follow it. ...Talk to it. I know it sounds bizarre, it sounds bizarre to me and I'm saying it."

Tosh frowned. "Okay, yes that's...quite weird. That sounds nothing like the meditation I was leading."

Ianto shook his head and sighed. "I don't know. Honestly I wasn't even listening to you. As soon as I closed my eyes I was back in the woods. That's what I've been seeing everyday since I started meditating."

"How are you doing it?" Tosh leaned forward. "I mean Jack and Owen have all but glued a lo-jack to your back. They're constantly checking in on you, and monitoring you. How have you managed to hide away to meditate without them freaking out over your heart rate suddenly dropping?"

"Luckily Jack's hearing is still spotty. I just told them the couch wasn't the most restful thing to be sleeping on for the last week,  
and I'm taking cat naps in the archives." Ianto looked vaguely guilty. "It seems to have worked so far."

"You really are sneaky." Tosh seemed more amused then anything, but she schooled her face into a serious expression. "Though you do realize you're an idiot right? We couldn't wake you up; you weren't reacting to our voices or touch. Owen was shaking you and nothing. You were gone."

Ianto let his shields dip, feeling the worry that he had heard in Tosh's voice. It sparked like tinfoil on his teeth. His shields shot  
up again, and resisted the urge to make a face at the lingering discomfort.

"That's not safe to be playing with alone. What if an alien attacks while you're out and you get eaten? Do you really want to sentence Jack and Owen to death just because you wanted to hide out and meditate alone in the archives?"

Now Ianto looked very guilty. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that this all is very stressful. Owen and Jack never leave me alone, they're always there, always watching me, listening to me, and pointing scanners at me. Or they need me to keep from zoning or having a sensory spike."

He saw Tosh's look of dismay. "And I don't mind, honestly. I enjoy helping others. I enjoy taking care of those tw- of others." He reassured. "But it never seems to stop, or let up for even a moment anymore. It's all just hard to handle and I was hoping Dr Sandburg was right about meditation helping." Ianto turned, straightening an already neat pile of pamphlets.

Tosh put a hand on his arm. "Ianto I understand, but if you're always going that deep you really should have someone know. Some one to check in on you, or able to bring you out. It's the same as Jack and Owen's zones. You need someone there to pull you back."

"They're not that bad anymore. They're getting really good. Owen especially. It's rather phenomenal how quickly he's learning to control his new senses. He can pick out scents easily, and read tiny writing across the hub, who knows how far he'll go. Jack is going a bit slower. He seems to prefer to just...enjoy his senses, rather then learn to control them, but he's doing good, when I can keep him thinking of it as a game."

"That's good to know, but we're not talking about them. We're talking about you meditating when you're alone and going far, far, far into your own mind. It's not safe Ianto."

Ianto felt his temper flare, and pulled it into check. "Nothing we do is safe Tosh. But it's helping."

Tosh opened her mouth, and closed it again. They sat in silence for a minute.

Ianto shook his head. "That's not the worst of it. Now that damn dog has started showing up even when I'm not meditating."

Tosh blinked at the curse coming from Ianto, along with the sudden veer in conversation. He was usually the last person to resort to swearing. "...Wait what? You're hallucinating? Ianto! We need to go tell Owen now!"

"No, no. Just...flashes. If I close my eyes too long, or when I'm tired. It's not like I see it constantly or anything just... glimpses sometimes."

"Ianto that is not normal!" Tosh protested.

"How is any of this normal? Owen can detect a tiny dab of oil on a card hidden in Jack's office, and find a months old tie I lost in there last year. Jack can hear things across the hub as clearly as if he were standing next to you. I'm some sort of empath, among other things. How is any of that, by any definition of the word, normal?"

Tosh blinked, "...point. But still...seeing a dog?"

"Well it's not like I'm seeing a tap dancing, singing frog..." At Tosh's look he chuckled. "Owen made me watch the cartoon..."

"I always knew he was the weird one. But back to you meditating and not telling any one." Tosh refused to let the conversation get off course. "That can't keep happening. You need to tell someone. Jack and Owen are pretty much 'never happening again!' but I think if you bat your eyes at them they'll change their minds."

Ianto snorted.

"Or they could at least sit with you. And if they refuse to help you, I will. But you can't keep doing it alone, if you're going to be that hard to wake up every time. If you don't care that much for your own health, at least think about your Sentinels. Without you they're doomed."

Ianto sighed and nodded. Tosh was a master at a finely tuned guilt trip. She was already smiling like she had won "Fine. I'll make sure one of you is with me next time. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." Tosh told with a grin, hopping down and disappearing back through the secret door.

As if on cue, though Ianto was positive Jack couldn't actually hear that well, the Bluetooth beeped in his ear, and Jack's voice was there, rambling on about another alien run rampant in Cardiff.

Ianto glanced to the side and glared at the large black dog sitting patiently beside the beaded curtain, eyeballing him.

"Shoo! Go home!"

The dog disappeared, running though the wall.


	22. Chapter 22

Owen was nearly vibrating from the adrenalin coursing though his body. Another alien sighting, another chase and this time no team members hurt to put a damper on his high. It had all been fast and furious, his and Jack's Sentinel instincts taking over as they hunted and captured the weevil, who was now safely in the cells. Even Ianto, with his gun drawn, all soft touches and calm words in the chaos.

Owen's eyes roamed over Jack, as the other man passed by him in the empty hub and he growled. God he was so fucking horny! The adrenalin pumping though his blood stream only added fuel to the flame that'd been driving him to madness since the whole sentinel business started.

His eyes swiveled over to Ianto calmly making coffee, carefully avoiding both of them. His eyes zoomed in taking in every details of the Welshman. Ianto could fix this. He could help them, all he had to do with sleep with them. How fucking hard was that? Not like it would be the first time with either of them. He wants them. Owen knew it, could smell the pheromones on him nearly as often as he could on Jack and himself. So why was he being such a fucking cock block.

Ianto walked past him and paused, making Owen twitch violently from the sudden flood of arousal he could smell coming off him, before shaking him self and continuing into Jack's office, slipping by quietly with the coffees balanced on a silver tray.

Owen prowled after him, eyes dilating, heart hammering, breathing shallow, just wanting to throw Ianto down and rip his clothes off.

Owen felt Jack's hands as they wrapped around his arm, pulling him back.

"Owen, I know that look and I'm normally thrilled to see it directed at me. I can _taste _the sex rolling off you. Calm down before I have to shove you in a cold shower. I'm as desperate as you, I have over a century of being used to regular sex, you know, but Ianto will not be happy if we jump his bones."

Owen panted. "Jack I'm going to die. I cannot take this! I'm going to keel right over dead, I swear to god!"

Jack winced. "Maybe we should consider sedatives or something, before you have a heart attack?"

Owen sighed and rubbed his face. "You might actually be on to something. Maybe I can make it though this if I'm heavily medicated."

Ianto had made some vague noises about this, what word did he use... 'tension'? Fucking Borg. He thought it was heightened like their senses. Primal urges or some bullshit. All Owen knew was that it was going to kill him, soon.

As if summoned, Ianto appeared at the door to Jack's office. "Jack? Owen? Are you coming?"

"Unfortunately, no!" Owen snapped, stalking toward him again.

---

Ianto rolled his eyes at Owen's comment, and then frowned as he studied him. He looked...rather awful. His shields had flickered when he'd passed by Owen and he'd gotten hit by a massive bolt of lust. Now, looking at the man, Owen looked ready to fall over. Maybe he was taking this whole no sex thing, harder then Ianto had originally thought.

"We might have to skip practice tonight. I'm thinking Owen's going to give us some nice pills and we're just going to try to sleep off the adrenalin rush from tonight's mission." Jack said keeping a hand on Owen's arm, subtly angling him away from the Welshman.

Ianto smiled slightly, making a decision and inwardly steeling himself. "Let me tell you what the test is tonight, and if you still want to skip it we'll do that." He waited for both men to agree before continuing.

"Earlier, I felt the weevil's anger and fear. It slowed me down, even if just a little. If I'm going to be in the field with you that can't happen, so tonight's test is for me. I need to practice shielding under less then ideal conditions, so… " Ianto felt his ears burn and cursed inwardly. He cleared his throat. "And both of you could do with practicing self control over your senses. So, I was thinking. I could stay and work on my shields, meditate while you two-" he let his hand flutter as way of explanation, hating the fact he sounded like a nervous teenager. For god's sake he was just going to be sitting in a corner meditating.

The room was silent for a full minute while Ianto's offer sunk in. He flicked his eyes up nervously and saw Owen staring back at him, looking ready to fall over in shock.

"Please, please, tell me you're not joking? Because if you are I will die and it will be all your fault."

"Not joking. I'll stay in the room and concentrate on my shields, you two...uh you know."

Jack and Owen were ripping their clothes off and nearly falling down the ladder before he finished speaking.

Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering, not for the first time, if it was really such a good idea. A wave of lust rolled up from Jack's room, nearly knocking him off his feet. He quickly strengthened his shields, and grabbed the blanket off the couch.

Ianto sighed and followed them, having to edge around the already writhing bodies. He dropped down in a corner, pressing against the cold stones, hoping he wouldn't get kicked in the head. The blanket lay across his legs. For some reason it was easier to concentrate on his mental shields if he had a physical one as well. Owen had even gone so far as to call it a blankie, but it worked. The bubble Ianto created earlier became thick and opaque, casting the room in a muddy light, dampening the sounds. Even the wall against his back felt less cold.

He closed his eyes, shutting out the scene in front of him, and felt himself begin to slide backwards, into the stone wall, into his mind.

He looked around. He was back in the forest. He spotted the dog and as always, and took off after it at an easy run.

It was exhilarating. He could run forever here, never getting tired, or running out of breath. He could feel everything as well as in real life. He could feel the wind blow though his hair, he could smell the damp earth and plants. He could see the darting form of the dog staying just out of his reach.

Ducking around trees, jumping over logs, it all flowed together smoothly, his movements feeling easier and more graceful then they ever were in the real world.

Ianto nearly stumbled when he caught sight of something else, a flash of brown fur. He'd never seen any other animals in his meditations. He shook his head and kept running after the dog. Then he saw it again. The dog came to a stop, and Ianto actually bumped into it.

There was a small, muscled...thing. It looked rather viscous. And frankly he didn't want to try to think about what it was doing with the other...thing. The large pink, feline thing with… purple tentacles. He clamped a hand over his eyes and sighed. He was sure there was nothing in Tosh's guided meditations about this sort of vision.

He felt the dog nudge him sharply and point with his nose at the mating pair. Ianto scowled down. "Why do you want me to watch this?" The dog didn't answer, he just stared up at him, and Ianto recognized it as the look he usually used himself when someone was being uncommonly thick.

Before he could question the dog further, and did he really just consider that as an option?, he felt a sharp tug in his chest. It was time to go back. But he had hardly been there a minute. He signed, took a deep breath and opened his eyes. His body ached slightly, and he felt unusually tired. His shields were still strong. That explained the tiredness. He focused on his watch, staring at it through the blurriness the shield created. An hour. He'd been in meditation for an hour. Owen and Jack were still, he glanced up to make sure, going at it like rabbits, pretty clearly not for the first, or last time of the evening.

Ianto sighed and closed his eyes again, concentrating on his shields and patching it where twinges of passion and lust and love had been starting to leak through.

He gave an extra hard push at his shields and felt the feelings fade completely. Ianto let him self slip back into meditation. He was right back into the middle of the clearing, the two creatures still mating. He scowled and rubbed his face. Suddenly this was a whole lot less fun.

"You know," He said conversationally, as the dog joined him again. "I came here to get away from this. Can we go back to running now?" The dog ignored him, looking forward.

"Oh _fine."_ Ianto flopped down to the soft grass and resigned him self to weird mutant animal… porn. He really did not want to try to psychoanalyze what this vision meant. The dog lay down next to him pushing under his hand like...well a dog, demanding petting. Ianto began to pet him, concentrating on the large creature under his hands.

After awhile he felt exhaustion begin to creep up on him. He yawned, and slid down, stretching out on the ground, his head resting on the dog's side. He let his eyes close. Vaguely he felt a small furry body press up against his chest, while something worryingly like a tentacle settled against his neck, accompanied by a heavy, warm weight against his back. Before he could become too concerned he was asleep.

---

Jack collapsed back on the mattress, panting harshly, feeling completely drained like he'd just died a dozen times, but also feeling better then he could remember.

Owen flopped down on top of him equally exhausted and happy.

Jack absentmindedly focused on their racing, but slowing heartbeats, then lifted his head when he heard one very slow heartbeat. "Ianto?"

Owen's head popped up as well, and looked over Jack's shoulder at the still form. "Don't fucking tell me he zoned again!" he was already crawling over Jack to get to the younger man. He reached out, flinching at the cold skin.

Jack joined them, listening closely to Ianto's heart. It was alreadybeginning to beat more quickly now. "He's okay." He reassured Owen.

Ianto's eyes opened slowly, and he sucked in a deep breath, though his eyes were soon sliding shut again. "Done? Good. Right." It sounded like Ianto couldn't decide how to start a sentence. "It worked then?"

"Yeah" Jack said quietly. "You?"

Ianto gave him a sleepy smile. "My shields stayed up. Didn't feel a thing. " He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear it.

"I'll be going to my couch now then." Ianto moved out of his cross-legged position as he spoke, and promptly fell over.

Owen helped Ianto as he struggled to sit up. "Ianto? You okay, Luv?"

Ianto shook his head slowly. "Yeah. Legs are numb. Tired. Shields. Made me tired."

Owen tugged him towards the pillows. "Come on, lay down. Go to sleep. You look like you're going to fall over."

"Couch." He protested with a murmur.

"Ianto, you can't even stand up." Jack helped Owen to lie Ianto back down on top of the covers, slowly enough that the tired man didn't notice. Jack swore at the knots in Ianto's legs, gently trying to work them out.

Ianto shied away from the touch and Owen began talking to distract him.

"You can't even talk straight and you'll break your neck if you try to climb that ladder. Just lie down and go to sleep. We're going to pass out our selves in about two seconds." as he coaxed, Owen grabbed Ianto's blanket and tucked it around the younger man.

"Go to sleep luv."

Jack watched as Ianto finally fell, between one breath and the next. Owen followed quickly, laying beside him and snaking a possessive arm around the Welshman. Jack soothed out the last of the knots in Ianto's legs, and slid up. He dropped a kiss to the corner of Owen's upturned mouth, and another to Ianto's temple.

With a yawn, Jack stretched out on the other side of Ianto, reaching out until he felt Owen's hip under his hand, listening to the quiet hums and murmurs of the hub as he drifted off.

(AN: if you'd like to see the animals Ianto saw, go here: http // www . geocities . com/ druevilpointybiteyone / CuretheSenses . html (remove spaces, and add a underscore between dru and evilpointybiteyone, cause the site hates people who link) and scroll down. Manip made by my cowriter harem (Quallianmaghouin)


	23. Chapter 23

Jack awoke feeling more peaceful and relaxed than he could remember ever being before. He didn't open his eyes; just stayed curled into the warm body at his side, feeling the small puffs of breath against his chest. Ianto hadn't moved, but the blanket that had been tucked around him earlier now covered all three men. It was scratchy, and a little too hot, but Jack felt too comfortable to complain.

Owen's skin was warm beneath his fingertips, and the arm that had wrapped around Ianto was now caught between the younger man and Jack.

He could hear both of their hearts beating slowly and steadily, loudly in his ears.

A small grin spread across his face as he breathed in the smell of sex still lingering in the air. Last night had been…amazing. He thought he'd go insane if he didn't have sex, and then Ianto just let them, never thought he would do that, not in a million years. Then Owen and him...oh _god_ yes.

He opened his eyes and looked over as Ianto shifted, waking up. The Welshman's heart rate became faster as he began to wake up, and then spiked as opened his eyes, looking around the small room. Jack sighed as he felt Ianto stiffen, muscles bunching as he body worked out it's fight or flight responses.

"Morning." Jack said softly, not loosening his hold.

Ianto tried to back away, but froze as Owen shifted. "Uh. Good morning, Sir. Could you- could you let go? I need to get up and feed the animals."

Jack twisted his arm so he could see his cuff. Huh 6am. The Ianto Jones internal clock strikes again. "I think they can wait a little while." Jack snuggled further into Ianto's side, deliberately tightening his grip.

Ianto scowled. "Were you always this clingy...Sir?"

"Yes."

"Shut up." A disgruntled, sleepy voiced whined from Ianto's other side, as Owen buried his face against the Welshman's neck.

"Sorry." Jack whispered, still clinging to Ianto.

Ianto took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Jack felt his ribs move and shift under Ianto's shirt. He heard the lungs expand and contract.

"Sir I really must get up. You know what Myfanwy does when she's hungry. Nothing in the hub will be safe from being eaten, and then we'll have a sick Pterodactyl on our hands again." Ianto attempted to disentangle himself, while tying not to disturb Owen.

"And the weevils make the most dreadful noises, which I'm sure you'll be able to hear much better then the rest of us." Ianto babbled in his calm, unhurried way.

Jack sighed, and let Ianto go, unwrapping Owen's arms and legs from the younger man. He should get up him self. Should've been up a while ago.

Ianto slid out from between them and was up the ladder and gone before Jack cold even think to ask for coffee.

Jack watched Owen scowl in his sleep, reaching out for a warm body that was now gone. Jack snagged the pillow Ianto had been using and pushed it into Owen's arms. He smiled as the other man burrowed into it, breathing in the scent Ianto must have left.

Jack stretched and climbed out of bed carefully, following Ianto out of the room. He still had an hour to do some paperwork, before he worked with Ianto on his shields, and before he had to drag Owen out of bed.

An hour should be plenty of time for Ianto to have a nice quiet freak out after waking up in bed with two of his... Well Jack supposed Ianto used the word ex. He had some label undoubtedly. Ianto, as an archivist, was a man of labels.

Ianto would disappear into the archives, or up into the tourist office. Probably though, at this time of morning, the younger man had fled to the showers. There was precious little in the Ianto Jones world that couldn't be cured by a warm shower or a good coffee. Jack was just glad the hub had a limitless supply of hot water.

Jack yanked on some pants, and headed towards the coffee pot that he could hear, already dripping. At least Ianto had remembered the coffee.


	24. Chapter 24

"I can not fucking believe we're doing this again!" Owen snarled into his captain's ear, as Jack pushed him into the conference room.

"I'm Ianto's bitch, okay? He gave me those sad Jones' puppy eyes and I caved like a wet paper bag. Just shut up and...Clear your aura or whatever." Jack said quietly, and then flopped into a chair. "And don't fall asleep this time!"

Owen continued to snarl as he dropped down on the floor next to Gwen and Ianto. Ianto had his eyes closed, and Jack tuned in to his heartbeat. Awake. The younger man swiveled his head, as if aware of the eyes on him, and blinked, giving Jack a small smile.

Tosh ignored Owen and started handing crystals to each of them, giving Ianto a large purple amethyst, while the others received small pieces of clear quartz.

Jack nearly dropped the crystal when Tosh handed it to him. "It's vibrating. Why is it vibrating? Is it going to explode?"

Tosh's eyebrows shot up, and Ianto was already on his feet, moving over to Jack's side. "You can feel something?"

"Yeah, like I said it's vibrating." The crystal buzzed faintly in the palm of his hand.

"What does it feel like? Does it feel bad? Good? Neutral?" Ianto questioned, automatically slipping into his Guide voice.

Jack looked uncomfortable. "I don't know...good… maybe?"

Tosh shrugged "Then enjoy it, and relax. It's not going to explode. Some people can feel energy from crystals. It's not a problem."

Owen pouted at his crystal, holding it up and dangling it between two fingers. "Mine's not doing anything...how come Jack gets the good crystal?"

Jack heard a nearly silent mutter of Japanese as Tosh visibly gathered her patience. "There's nothing different about Jack's crystal, Owen. Maybe you just can't feel anything."

"Switch!" Owen demanded wiggling his fingers at Jack.

Jack handed his crystal over and took Owen's. "Still vibrating...though it feels different. Not bad but...different."

Owen made an annoyed noise. "Nothing."

"If it bothers you that much, one of us can do some energy work with you later." Ianto said. He paused and then frowned, quickly switching Jack and Owen's crystals back to their original owners.

Jack raised an eyebrow, grinning at the uncomfortable look on Ianto's face.

"That one's yours." Ianto pointed to the crystal that Jack was now holding. "Can we start now please?" Ianto sat down where he was, beside Jack's chair, crossing his legs under him.

Tosh went to her chair and made her self comfortable. "Okay, we're going to do the same as yesterday, only holding the crystals this time. Nothing else, no need to worry about energy work or anything, just breathe and relax. Ready?" Tosh started the meditation.

Jack watched Tosh through slitted eyes. She was keeping a closer eye on Ianto after yesterday, not that Jack could blame her. That had been…scary, even by his standards. After that, Jack and Owen had decided that one of them would always stay back and watch the younger man during the meditations. Just in case.

Jack was so focused on Ianto that he almost didn't notice Owen. The steady thump of Owen's heart had started to slow. Jack flicked his eyes over.

"Shit."

Owen was staring at the crystal with glazed eyes.

Gwen and Tosh startled at Jack's outburst.

"Owen zoned." Tosh realized, already on the floor next to him.

She was promptly shoved out of the way when Jack dropped down next to his lover. "Owen? Dammit! I knew, I _knew _this was a bad idea!"

"Jack yelling won't help. Threaten the coffee pot to wake up Ianto, would you?" Gwen said quietly.

Ianto's eyes were already snapping open on their own. "Owen? Coc Oen, you have very bad timing!" Ianto scolded gently, while swinging himself around on to his knees. He stroked Owen's hair and slid his hand over his eyes to close them. "It's okay, come back. Owen? Everything is all right, the light's gone, and you're safe. Come back to me Coc Oen." Gently, he pried the crystal out of his hands.

Owen's eyes snapped open. "Uh did something happen?"

"You zoned."

"Oh." Owen looked embarrassed. "Um I was looking at the way the light was bouncing off it..."

Tosh sighed. "Okay note for the future. Nothing shiny for Owen, and don't let him look at the crystals."

"Coc Oen?" Gwen asked Ianto with a small giggle. Ianto shushed her with a wave of his hand, and a loud cough.

Jack smiled at Gwen's confusion before turning back to the matter at hand. They had just proven what he knew all along. Meditation wasn't going to work. "We are _not_-"

Ianto leveled a glare at Jack and the captain sighed.

"Ianto, you can not possibly think this is a good idea! First you yesterday, now Owen, this will kill us all before it helps with anything!"

"There's always a few kinks to work out when you start something new. This will help us all in the long run, once we get going smoothly."

"I am not feeling at all relaxed." Owen muttered in a decidedly grumpy tone, and Jack nodded agreeing. He was starting to get a headache.

Ianto breathed sharply though his nose. "Gwen, Tosh would you please give us a few minutes alone? Thank you."

Both women scurried to their feet and out of the room, and Jack wished he could join them. He watched as Ianto got up and closed the door behind them, putting the table between himself and his two Sentinels.

"Maybe if you would work at it more, you would feel relaxed." Ianto suggested evenly.

Jack opened his mouth, but Ianto didn't give him a chance to speak.

"But you both insist on being stubborn, on arguing, on _falling asleep_, or concentrating on thinking that this will fail, so how could you possibly enjoy it, or get anything out of it?" Ianto's voice remained steady but Jack could see the anger and hurt in Ianto's eyes. Owen shifted uncomfortably at his feet, as if sensing the same thing.

Jack tried to put himself in Ianto's shoes, and felt a small sting of guilt. Meditation obviously helped him, when he didn't spend the time dealing with Jack and Owen's protests.

"It will help if you try. But you won't even do that. You told me you'd give it two weeks, to see if it helped. Now you're trying to quit after two days?"

Ianto came back around and kneeled beside Owen, handing him back the crystal he had taken earlier. "I want you two to keep your promises. Now let's try this again for at least a few minutes." Jack tried not feel hurt as Ianto's voice took on a slight pleading tone, obviously not expecting the two men to go along.

Ianto waited until both Jack and Owen nodded, and then let out an almost silent sigh of relief.

"I, for one, am getting something out of it." He went to settle down and then stopped, grabbing the large amethyst point that Tosh had given him and switching it out for the crystal in Owen's hands. He wrapped Owen's fingers around the new stone. "No looking." he said with a small smile, "Don't worry about guidance, just try to relax, just for a few minutes."

Jack gave Owen an uncertain look as Ianto closed his eyes again. Owen just shrugged, and screwed his eyes shut, frowning as he tried to concentrate.

Jack was pretty sure that wasn't how it was supposed to work.


	25. Chapter 25

Owen's eye cracked open after a couple minutes, giving Ianto time to fall back into a meditation. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at Jack and tilted his head towards the younger man, just to be sure. He did not need for Ianto to find out they weren't meditating. Again.

Jack nodded, and Owen let out a small sound of relief.

"Jack? I know he's scary when he's mad, hell I've been shot by the man, and he can guilt trip with the best of them, but are we sure we should be letting this happen? What if we can't wake him up again?"

Jack sighed. "I know. I feel the same way. But it seems like he really wants this. He's working so hard to help us with our senses, to find new ways to test us, and yes I fully admit, keeping me entertained."

Owen gave a quiet snort of amusement.

Jack shrugged. "He's rearranged his life to be with us constantly, he puts up with our stalking him with relatively little complaint, He even gave in and stayed so we could have sex. This is the least we can do for him. At least we're here to make sure he's okay."

Owen crossed his arms. "This would be so much if either of us actually like mediation. We'd be happily off in la la land like Ianto, and not sitting here worrying over the fact that he might be in a coma." Owen spun the amethyst idly on the floor.

"You want to try it again?" Jack asked.

"We're watching him, remember?"

"Technically it's my turn to watch. You mediate today, I'll meditate tomorrow. If we have to do this, we might as well try to make an effort to do it right."

Owen had the feeling Jack was only being so insistent because it wasn't his turn.

He sighed again, desperately wanting to say, 'no we don't need to make an effort, because this is stupid, dangerous and pointless!' but instead shifted his position, closed his eyes, and tried to remember what Tosh had been saying yesterday.

He fidgeted for a minute, twisting the crystal in his hand. Suppressing a growl of frustration, he tried harder, and suddenly the world started to slide out from under him.

Owen's eyes snapped open. Instead of sitting on a floor in the hub, he found him self standing in a dense forest. He frowned and turned around, trying to figure out what happened. "Maybe Gwen touched an alien device?" he asked out loud, his voice echoing oddly in the quiet wood. "Bloody hell, even I don't buy that one. Where the fuck am I?"

He heard a noise and spun, spotting a small muscled animal, eyeballing him, clearly looking unimpressed. The creature gave a dissatisfied grumble, and took off into the woods.

"Oi! Come back here, you!" Before Owen knew what he was doing he was racing though the woods after the animal. For such a small thing it was moving fast.

This was insanity. One minute he's sitting in the conference room making a half-arsed attempt to meditate, and then suddenly he was running though the woods after some creepy little animal. Why the hell was he even chasing this thing? He shook his head and tried to run faster, faintly concerned that he didn't feel the stitch in his side that usually showed up when he was forced to chase aliens.

He could feel the wind blowing past him, he could smell plants, animals, dirt, and so many other scents, amazed he wasn't zoning or falling over in a sensory spike. He could hear something running after him but didn't want to look for fear he'd trip and smash in his skull. Hopefully whatever it was wouldn't kill him.

Owen focused for a moment and his vision zoomed in closer on the animal in front of him, and he quickly started cataloging it. It was small, about 80 centimeters, looked like maybe some kind of bear that had been shrunk in the dryer. Long dark brown fur with a couple light stripes over its small heavily muscled body. Fast as anything.

He stumbled to a stop as the creature entered a clearing, slowing and stopping, turning to stare at the man who had intruded into his woods. Owen added vicious teeth to the description.

The noise that had stayed behind him constantly through the run gained on them, and Owen let out a startled yell as something bowled into him, sending him flying. He stared at the spinning treetops for a minute before he got his breath out, and turned to look at his attacker. It was a huge shaggy black dog, looking nearly as bewildered as Owen felt.

The little creature he had been chasing in the first place had sidled closer, standing under the dog and peering through the larger creature's front legs at Owen.

If Owen had been the type to anthromorphise he would have labeled the look 'morbid curiosity'

He sighed, and let his head bang back down against the soft earth.

"What the fuck is going on?"

---

Jack sat quietly, watching Owen and Ianto. Both looked completely relaxed, breathing and heartbeats far lower then normal, oddly synched. He let his mind drift, still keeping an ear on both men.

He knew this was hard on them. Owen hated his senses. He just wanted to learn to control them, so he could forget them and pretend this whole annoying metaphysical thing never happened. Every day Owen's first order of business was to look through the files they were starting to accumulate on the artifact that started the whole thing. They were finding new information slowly if steadily, but nothing that was going to help them reverse what it had done.

Ianto was being quietly driven insane by both of the sentinels, and their constant nearness. Jack knew it, he just couldn't seem to stop him self. Some part of him kept demanding he stay near Ianto; make sure he was safe and protected and happy. He'd blame it totally on the sentinel thing, if only for the fact he'd felt that way before. He always cared about Ianto. He always wanted Ianto safe. It was why he'd always tried to keep him out of the field, keep him in the hub safe from harm. Only now it seemed his every feeling for Ianto was ramped up to 11.

It seemed to be much of the same for Owen. Jack had never asked much about what had gone on between the two men while he was gone, mostly because neither seemed that willing to talk about it. He knew that they had some sort of relationship, and now Owen was being just as possessive of Ianto as Jack himself, if not more so.

The door cracked open and Tosh stuck her head inside. "Is everything okay?" she asked quietly. Gwen peeked in over her shoulder.

"Yeah. They're meditating. I'm making sure neither one dies."

"Owen's meditating?" Tosh asked as she and Gwen came the rest of the way in. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it. His heart rate and breathing are as low as Ianto's, but he's not zoned." He pointed to the purple stone in Owen's hand. "Maybe switching stones helped.

Gwen frowned. "Is that the amethyst? There supposed to be more powerful."

Jack raised an eyebrow, and Gwen shrugged. "I researched them months ago. One of Rhys' friends swore by them."

She turned her attention to Owen. "Wow. I...well I never thought he would actually manage it. I was just amazed he wasn't disrupting anyone else, so far." Gwen admitted, looking at the still doctor.

"I know I had trouble believing it my self, but I guess he decided to actually try, and then his heart rate just dropped and he was out."

Tosh gave a small grin. "I think I feel proud. Our bitchy little doctor's growing up." She sat down next to Jack. "How are you holding up?"

"Okay. Owen and I talked. We decided to trade off days of babysitting." Jack backpedaled as Tosh leveled narrowed eyes at him. "I mean observing. In case something happens. Tomorrow I get to attempt to meditate." He gave them a small motion with his head. "Feel free to join them, since you got interrupted before."

Tosh looked over at Gwen who nodded and dropped down to a sitting position next to Owen.

Jack watched as both woman closed their eyes and went though the relaxing routine, taking longer to relax, and going nowhere near as deep, as Ianto and Owen had.

It _was_ rather relaxing, Jack had to admit, sitting here and listening to the slow heartbeats and the quiet breathing of his teammates. He wondered if that was considered an invasion of privacy, or if any of them would be too creeped out by the fact.

He continued to watch his team, a small smile on his face, as time passed. Finally he stirred and looked at his cuff, surprised that twenty minutes had passed. They would need to be woken up soon.

Jack sat up straight as both Owen and Ianto's heart rates spiked. At the same moment their eyes flew open.

Owen gasped, nearly falling over and looked around wildly. "What the _fucking_ hell was that?"

Ianto's reaction was slightly less dramatic. He just blinked, once, and then turned to Owen, sounding concerned.

"Owen? Are you okay?" he asked, running a hand lightly up Owen's arm.

Tosh and Gwen's eyes had snapped open at Owen's alarmed yelp, and they, along with Jack crowded around Owen, trying to look like they were doing anything but. Ianto made an annoyed sound as they got too close.

"I- uh I don't know. There was a forest." Owen shook his head. "And I was chasing this...thing. Some kind of small furry animal. Maybe a bear? I don't know but for some reason I was running after it. And this fucking _huge_ dog tried to run me over..."

Ianto stared at Owen wide-eyed. "Uh. Small furry animal. Dog?"

Tosh gave Ianto a look; her own eyes the size of dinner plates.

"Yeah. It was small, about 80 centimeters, dark fur."

"A wolverine." Ianto muttered.

"What?"

"Uh...I was something similar yesterday, and looked it up online. It was a wolverine. North American actually. Vicious nasty little creatures."

"Well why the fuck are we seeing wolverines while we're meditating?"

"I don't know."

"What did the dog look like?" Tosh asked.

Jack looked over at her, not surprised that she was being the reasonable, calm one. It was usually Ianto's job, but he seemed… well the best phrase he could think of was "weirded out."

"Like I said. Fucking huge. Black, shaggy."

"About yea high?" Ianto asked, holding his hand up as high as he could while remaining seated.

Owen stared at him.

Ianto dropped his hand, and rubbed his neck. "Yeah. Saw that one too."

Owen growled and pushed him self off the floor. "We've meditated, we're done for the day, and I'm going to try to get some actual work done now. No more freaky shit."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"No more "Sentinel" and "Guide", " Owen actually made finger quotes, "freaky shit. I am not dealing with this right now."

Ianto shook him self and pushed off the floor as well, and Jack could hear the quiet intake of breath as Ianto steadied himself. "He's right, I have a lot to do, and I should be getting to it."

Both men left quickly, heading in separate directions.

Jack spun his chair back around to look at the two women still kneeling on the floor. They looked as lost as he felt. He turned around again, watching Owen at his desk, muttering to himself and banging the keyboards harder than necessary.

Ianto was at the coffee machine, talking quietly about perhaps going down to the archives for a short nap, pitched so that Jack would hear if he was eavesdropping.

In all, Jack supposed, the meditation session could have gone better.


	26. Chapter 26

Ianto squeezed his hands into fists, fingernails digging into his palms as he tried to convince himself he wasn't shaking. He took a deep breath trying to calm him self down before Jack caught on and got too worried. Below him, Owen was at his desk, growling and muttering and sending off waves of annoyance tinged with fear.

That- that had been the strangest thing.

Owen- somehow Owen had been in his meditation. How was that even possible? How was any of this possible?

He caught him self on the edge of the coffee machine as the room seemed to spin, and shook his head sharply as trees blurred in and out of his sight, the forest merging with the hub, for a moment then fading again.

The dog faded into sight, remaining after the trees disappeared. It gazed up at him with a concerned, and slightly exasperated look. Trying to nudge him, its muzzle passed through Ianto's side with an icy touch.

"Oh fuck off." Ianto hissed, squeezing his eyes shut.

He had to get away. He felt an overwhelming urge to run and hide, and go back to the forest. Maybe he could find out what was wrong. He knew the dog was trying to tell him something; he just couldn't work out what it was. And what was going on now, with Owen and the wolverine? Ianto was scared that he was genuinely going crazy

He looked up again and spotted Gwen coming out of the conference room, stepping through a nearly invisible tree. She gave him a small smile as she walked to her desk, and Ianto held back a gasp at the stab of worry he felt from her.

This...wasn't good. He swallowed hard and caught his breath, watching as the tea cart wavered in front of him. Maybe he should tell Jack and Owen he wasn't feeling right? No. No. Owen said he wasn't going to deal with any more of this kind of thing. It wasn't fair to make him.

Ianto took a deep breath again, and muttered something quietly about taking a nap in the archives, just in case Jack was listening. He'd go down there. Meditate for a while longer and try to work this out him self, without bothering anyone else. Maybe.

He left the coffee maker, coffee still dripping into the pot, and walked out of the main hub as fast as he could without bringing attention to himself. He was barely out of the room, when his vision blurred, and the forest replaced the hall. He grit his teeth and dragged him self back with a nauseating jerk, stumbling towards to the archive, seeing the hub as it really was for a bare second.

"Hold on! Just give me a minute!" he pleaded, trying to force the forest back. At his side the large dog whined, nuzzling Ianto's hand. Ianto stopped, narrowing his eyes as the dog blurred.

"Jack.. Owen." He mumbled, addressing the large creature. "I should- should have told-" he turned, stumbling, trying to go back.

He felt the world tilt, and weave and he fell against the wall, a tree?, sliding down and landing hard against the leaf strewn concrete floor, falling into the other world of his own creation.

---

Owen's head lifted as Ianto went by, half running. He shook his head and tried to ignore the stab of worry he felt. Ianto was big boy, goddammit. It something is wrong he could come and tell him.

Still…

He glanced up and focused on Jack, who was watching the hallway Ianto disappeared down. "Nap" Jack mouthed, with a shrug of his shoulders and a little frown before heading towards the coffee machine.

Owen sighed and turned back to his computer, quickly becoming engrossed with the new files coming in. He narrowed his eyes as the lights became suddenly too bright, and then too dim. The smell of scorching coffee was far too strong. Owen ran a hand over his face, squinting at the screen.

A minute later his head jerked up as a low growl came from behind him. Owen froze, not looking up from his screen, and the growl grew louder. Slowly, he swiveled his chair, staring in disbelief at the large dog that had been in his meditation.

"...I've lost what little hold on my sanity I had." Owen muttered reaching out and poking the dog, half expecting his hand to go though it like a ghost. He tensed a little when he felt a warm, furry body under his hand. The dog leaned into him, nipping at his jeans, and trying to nudge him out of the chair, towards the hall.

Owen looked around to see if anyone had noticed him losing his mind. His eyes locked with Jack, standing in his office doorway, mouth hanging open slightly.

Owen's eyebrows climbed and me whispered, pitched for Jack's ears only, "You see it too?"

Jack nodded and glanced over at Tosh and Gwen working quietly, seemingly not noticing anything weird. He walked over and leaned down next to Owen's ear. "I heard it growl. Why is there a dog in the hub?"

"It's the dog from... the other place! The one Ianto and I both saw."

The dog growled again, and bit down on Owen's sleeve, yanking harder, nearly pulling Owen out of his chair. "Err. I think it wants me to go with it. ... But I'm thinking I should go down into the autopsy bay and find my self some anti-psychotic meds."

Owen yelped when the dog bit him. Tosh glanced over at the sound, and Owen gave her a little reassuring wave that didn't even convince him. She rolled her eyes and went back to work.

Jack bit his lip then pulled Owen to his feet. "Come on. Let's follow it. Worst comes to worst, we're just going insane together. Maybe they'll let us share a padded room."

Owen sighed and followed the dog, as Jack yelled over to Gwen and Tosh, "We're uh, going for a little walk! Be right back! We have our comms if you need us."

Tosh snorted. "Have fun!"

The dog kept ahead of them, keeping just in sight, forcing Jack and Owen to quicken their pace. Owen frowned and looked past the dog as they rounded a corner, focusing in on a dark shape crumpled on the floor ahead of them.

"Shit! Fucking Hell, Ianto!" With a burst of speed Owen passed the dog, skidding to his knees next to the still man.

"Yan? Ianto I'm going to kill you, I swear to god!"

Jack knelt beside them and ran his hands though Ianto's hair and down his shoulder. "Pulse and breathing are slow. Ianto? Sweetheart, come back."

Owen hissed sharply though his teeth in frustration when Ianto didn't respond. He reached out, putting one hand firmly on Ianto's chest, the other sliding down to capture Ianto's own hand.

"Ianto don't do this to us! You'll... You'll …" he searched for the right words. Joking had worked before. It couldn't hurt, as long as it worked. "You'll make Jack cry!"

Jack raised an eyebrow at Owen but ran with the idea. "Yeah. I'll cry. You don't want that do you? You know how my eyes get all puffy." He cupped his hand around Ianto's face, stroking the younger man's cheek with his thumb. "Owen might even cry. He's already sniffling! Please Ianto? Come back to us." Jack coaxed quietly.

"Come on, Yan." Owen whispered.

After what seemed like an eternity to the doctor, Ianto's eyes slowly opened and he stared up at them woozily. "Jack? Owen? What-" his eyes widened as he glanced around. "Uh-"

"What the fuck happened, Yan? What are you doing down here, and why were you zoned again?" Owen demanded, as he started taking Ianto's pulse again. Ianto was staring past them, at the dog, he guessed.

"I uh. I felt like I should meditate a bit more and um...I sort of couldn't wait to get to the archives?"

"Ianto, you shouldn't try to lie. Not just because you're talking to two human lie detectors, but because you're really bad at it." Jack told him, hand dropping to rub Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto opened his mouth then sighed. "I- after our meditation, I started feeling...odd. I kept seeing the forest." Ianto shifted, sitting up a little straighter. Things kept blurring back and forth, and I just- I just knew I had to go back. It's like a rubber band. When I'm there, I feel it tug when it's time to come back, but this time, I felt it yanking me back into meditation."

Owen bit his tongue till he tasted blood, to keep from snarling and yelling that they never should have started this. "Okay. Let's get you up, and back to the hub. Next time you feel rubber bands yanking you somewhere, talk to one of us, yeah? A bit safer then falling over in the hall. You shouldn't have tried it without us."

Ianto frowned as Owen and Jack pulled him up to his feet. "I didn't mean to go. I just kind of..fell into it. I tried not to. How did you find me?"

Owen shook his head at the sudden veer. "We were on out way to try making out in the halls again. See if this whole meditation thing has helped that." Owen said with a casual smirk, not missing a beat.

Jack gave Owen a small questioning look, which Ianto missed, still being a little dazed. Owen shrugged. He wasn't about to try and explain.

"Right. Making out."

"Oh and that is just _so _safe. No chances of you zoning and dying, or anything with that, is there?" Ianto huffed.

"Well then that makes us a matched set I guess. All three of us are stupid." Owen said as they reached the last hall to main hub. Ianto nodded absently.

Jack stopped, gently gripping Ianto's face and turning it so he could look in the younger man's eyes.

"The trees." Ianto shook free. "They're still here." He swallowed thickly.

Suddenly a large furry body shoved into Ianto, making him stumble.

"Oi! Bad dog! Bad! Don't fucking trip Ianto or I'll find a way to neuter your freaky psychic arse!" Owen yelled, catching Ianto, and holding on to him. The wolfhound looked thoroughly unimpressed, and nudged the Welshman again.

Ianto stared at Owen open mouthed. "You-"

"Yeah we can see the dog too." Jack sighed stumbling to the side when the dog turned and shoved against his legs.

Ianto winced. "You followed him here." At Owen's questioning look, Ianto shook his head. "I can see it. Sort of."

Owen opened his mouth to say something, but yelped when another, smaller body banged against him. "Oh don't fucking tell me, _you_ are getting in on this too?"

The wolverine grumbled up at him.

Jack looked down in surprise, feeling a tentacle wrap around his ankle.

Owen stared.

"What the fu-"

"Swamp Lion. A Boeian Swamp Lion!" Jack sounded far too excited for someone who was being groped by a large pink cat.

Owen glanced back up at Ianto, only to find him kneeling down, stroking the wolverine's fur tentively, as a purple tentacle wormed carefully around his neck. As Owen watched, the floor wavered, becoming covered in ghostly leaves.

"It's real isn't it?" Ianto asked in a small voice, as if he weren't quite sure. "I'm not going crazy?"

Jack and Owen exchanged looks.

"I think," Jack said carefully, scratching the wolfhound behind its ears. "It's about as real as everything else that's going on."

Owen sat down heavily on the forest floor, blinking as he found himself with a lap full of pink cat. He hated to admit it, but Ianto, considering how they had found him earlier, actually looked relieved, and relaxed.

Owen swatted a tentacle out of his face. "Are we-"

Ianto seemed to waver out of focus for a minute, and then gave them both a reassuring smile. "We're fine. Just… meditating." He turned his attention back to the wolverine that was head butting him and grumbling.

"Hunh."

Owen glanced up as his captain spoke. The man looked amused, if slightly suspicious. Jack knelt down between the two men, settling in as the wolfhound laid down beside him. "So this is where you come? This is nice. Kinda homey."

(Author's note: this took so long, because it was written after the fact! All of those reviews are giving us good ideas!)


	27. Chapter 27

"Owen stay! Sit, stay, good doctor!" Ianto ordered as he climbed up the steps from the autopsy bay, balancing an ice pack on his wrist. He smiled up at Tosh, and gave an exaggerated eye roll, before heading over to her desk.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he rests," Jack said cheerfully, heading towards the bay. "Even if I have to break out the restraints." Jack threw an ace bandage toward Ianto, who ducked it neatly. It rolled near Tosh and she scooped it up.

After the captain disappeared, Ianto dragged Owen's chair over to Tosh's desk and collapsed into it with a heavy sigh. Tosh shared the sentiment. It wasn't everyday you found your coworkers collapsed in a hallway. Even for Torchwood.

"How's Owen?" Tosh asked, gently pulling Ianto's wrist into her lap and moving the pack. Ianto hissed as she began to wrap it.

"Minor Concussion. He's insisting he's fine, and wants to get up. Keeps trying to pull rank."

Owen had knocked his head against the floor when he had, passed out?, meditated?, fallen, and Jack had managed to land on Ianto's wrist. Thankfully neither injury seemed too serious. Not nearly as serious as the fact that the three men had been unconscious, lost in some sort of dream world, according to Ianto.

She had sat him down as soon as she was sure they weren't in any danger, and made him explain everything.

And what Ianto hadn't told her, Jack had. A Boeian swamp Lion, of all things. Tosh shook her head. She should have known as much when Ianto had asked to borrow her book on animal guides. The Welshman obviously had had some suspicions, even if hadn't been planning on sharing them.

"I thought I was just going crazy." Ianto said suddenly.

"What?"

"You just said… oh. Never mind." Ianto ducked his head with a flush of embarrassment. Tosh resisted the urge to comment on it. Ianto preferred to ignore the flashes of telepathy he seemed to have. She swiftly changed the subject.

"Ok so I was wrong. Meditation bad. Meditation very, very, very bad."

Ianto shot a guilty looks towards the autopsy bay and sighed. "I'm afraid I have to agree. Owen got hurt when we were sucked into that other place. He insists it's minor, but it wouldn't have happened if not for this whole meditation thing I've been pushing."

Tosh secured the bandage, and replaced the icepack, letting Ianto pull his hand back "I just don't know how something like that could keep happening." She said. "I've _never _heard of anything like this happening to anyone. I've meditated since Uni, and it's never been this… weird."

"I'm as lost as you are. It's not exactly my area of expertise, but, well, it seemed to be helping. But if it's going to get Owen hurt... I can't let Owen get hurt. I'll just have to try to find something else." Ianto sighed, obviously not happy with the idea.

Tosh cut her eyes up to Jack as he walked up behind Ianto, frowning.

"Maybe not." Jack said. "It...it's not that bad. It seems to be working for you, and I did promise you two weeks..."

Ianto looked up. "I thought you were watching Owen?"

"Distracted him with porn. He'll be fine. I checked, and double checked, and let him check the scans and it's a minor concussion. There's no major damage, he's going to be fine. Just needs a little rest and I'm keeping a ear on him."

Ianto shook his head. "It shouldn't have happened."

"I know. From now on we'll just sit down before meditating."

"Jack!"

Jack crouched down next to Ianto's chair, taking his uninjured hand; a more serious one replaced his teasing smile. "Ianto, we promised to give this a try for you, and we're not going to back out now. I saw the way you acted in the woods. You were relaxed and happy. That's more than enough to convince me that we should keep working on this."

Tosh turned back to her computer, tying to give the two men some privacy. She struggled to hide a smile.

"It is helping you." Jack continued. "So we'll just keep trying and maybe it'll help us too. We just need to take a few steps for safety, like making sure we're sitting, and not trying it alone. And before you argue, Owen agreed."

Ianto opened his mouth, more than likely to argue anyway, but was cut off by Owen, shouting from the other room.

"JACK! Fucking let me up! Theses straps are not toys! I'm the doctor here, and I'm telling you to get your arse back down here and untie me!"

"Jack! You didn't?"

Tosh snickered at Ianto's scandalized tone.

"What? I figured the porn wouldn't keep him distracted forever. You said you wanted him to stay lying down..."

Ianto sighed, giving Jack a mock glare of disapproval, and standing up. "I'll go see to him. Maybe I can calm him down and convince him to rest for a bit."

Jack watched Ianto go down into the autopsy bay, tilting his head to one side, obviously eavesdropping on the two men.

Tosh lowered her hand from her mouth and let out a small cooing noise. "Aw. You guys are just...adorable."

Jack grinned, using Tosh's desk to lever himself up. "Yeah. We are, aren't we?" He winked at her before following Ianto out of the room.


	28. Chapter 28

Gwen leaned against Tosh's desk watching Jack, Owen, and Ianto. The three men were in Jack's office, alternately studying computer readings, and playing some sort of wastebasket basketball. "They are so...odd."

Tosh looked over and nodded. "Yeah, kind of have to agree." Both Owen and Ianto kept occasionally glaring into empty corners and making, what they thought were subtle shooing motions. It apparently had become an important aspect of the game, usually resulting in Jack stealing the paper ball.

Jack seemed to just choose to ignore the weirdness. Or he was too busy staring at their arses to notice. Tosh had caught him talking to empty air more than once. Occasionally he would swat at his neck or rub his hands across his arms as if brushing something off.

Today marked the third week since they had become Sentinels and Guide. The deviled egg still sat patiently, hooked up to monitors, though it had been pushed to the side, and a note had been taped to in, proclaiming "No Touchy!" In Ianto's cramped, professional handwriting.

She'd thought things would have settled down by now, and maybe in a way they had, but things had also gotten weirder. They were all still meditating in the morning, and aside from the occasional zone out, it was going surprisingly well. If it was Owen or Jack that had zones, Ianto would pull out of his own world long enough to whack them over the head, and resume meditating. But Ianto seemed to be getting harder and harder to wake up. They had spent the good part of one morning trying to pull him out.

Tosh was sure Jack would have called quits on the meditation if not for the fact that it seemed to be working. All of them were calmer, and happier, Owen had stopped following Ianto around with scanners growling about him having a stroke or heart attack, and Ianto had stopped following Owen around doing the same in revenge.

If it weren't for the animals that the men were seeing, things would have been pretty good.

A sudden yell from Jack's office got their attention, just in time to see Jack do a small victory dance while Ianto retrieved the paper ball, and Owen glared at the corner of Jack's desk

Gwen frowned. "Don't you find it kind of strange that none of are concerned with them having these weird hallucinations all the time?"

"We are worried. But what are we going to do? Put them in a psych ward? At least it's not interfering with their work. They've never seen them in the field that I know of. Both Owen and I have run scans, but can't pick up anything that would explain what they're seeing. There's no energy signals that could be alien or earth influence, there's no sign of brain damage or mental illness. They're just...there."

"I know, but it just seems wrong to do nothing while our co-workers are seeing animals following them around. I've seen so many weird things since I joined Torchwood. But this...this still seems insane to me. I mean what's next? Is Jack going to start seeing something?"

Tosh watched Jack for another minute, until the three men settled back down in front of the computer they were sharing. "I think he might be seeing something. He just won't admit it."

The idea seemed to frighten Gwen. "Will we? I don't want to be followed around by a invisible animal!" she said, eyes wide.

"Gwen calm down. Have you seen anything in the last couple weeks?"

"Well no."

"Then don't worry about it."

Gwen sighed. "I guess. This must be the weirdest work place in the world."

"No doubt about it." Tosh chuckled." But you can't deny, nothing is more fun or exciting. Could you honestly imagine going back to the police force or any other job, after this?"

Gwen laughed and shook her head. "No. God no. I'd go insane from boredom in an hour. Speaking of that I should get back to work, before Jack stops staring at Ianto's arse long enough to notice." Gwen moved back to her own desk and sat, logging on to the network.

Tosh looked up towards Jack's office again and frowned. Far from the playfulness of a few minutes ago all three men were pale and ill looking. Ianto was staring at the screen, with a look of horror on his face.

"Gwen?" Tosh said cautiously. "Something's up. Come on."

They went into the office. "Jack? What's wrong?"

Jack tore his eyes away from the screen. "We-" he stopped and swallowed. "We've been keeping an eye out for new information about the research Torchwood One was doing."

Tosh nodded. Some records survived the battle at Canary Warf, and slowly they were being recovered and digitized. "You found something?"

"Yeah." It was Owen who spoke "New files came in today. They tried to reverse the process. We thought... maybe…"

It was no secret that Owen wanted to reverse what the device had done, though he later admitted that he _didn't mind_ being a Sentinel so much it was still 'fucking weird, and can we just please shut up about it and go back to looking.'

Ianto was still staring at the screen. He waited until Gwen and Tosh joined them before tapping a few keys, turning up the volume and starting the video from the beginning.

Tosh felt the blood drain from her face as the footage played, listening to the small, tinny screams coming from the old speakers. Gwen covered her mouth and looked away, obviously struggling not the throw up. Reaching out blindly, eyes not leaving the screen, Ianto pushed the small wastebasket toward her.

After several minutes the video ended, and Ianto closed the window. Tosh saw thumbnails of other video clips filling the screen.

"More of the same."

She jumped at the sound of Jack's voice in the quiet room.

"All of them. They're all the same." Ianto said quietly, though there was no way he could have watched them all.

Ianto opened up a text file, and continued, reading the report in a flat monotone. "In the end all of our tests have shown that any attempts at reversing the condition caused by artifact C57 dash 295B resulted in the-" Ianto's voice cracked. "Resulted in the death of all of the test subjects, At this point I suggest we not waste further subjects trying to reverse the affects. It is to be assumed that the effects of the artifact are permanent."

Owen swallowed hard and reached over Ianto, closing the files. "Tosh, Gwen, Put the egg in the archives. The deepest, darkest corner, behind the biggest locks we have. Do not touch the handles. I don't want it anywhere near any of us. Ever again."

Tosh nodded and grabbed Gwen's arm, dragging her out of the office, just as Ianto hunched over the wastebasket he had offered to Gwen earlier. She shut the door behind her to give the three men some privacy, muffling the sounds of retching.

"Darkest corner. Biggest locks." Gwen said, trying to give Tosh a shaky smile. "That sounds like a good idea."

---

Owen rubbed Ianto's back as the younger man heaved, even as he choked back his own gag reflex.   
"_God_! I worked for them! For years! I- Oh God, I can't believe I worked for those psychopaths!" Ianto gasped, pulling back from the wastebasket, taking the tissue Jack offered him.

"I know. You're not the only one who worked for them Ianto. I worked there a lot longer then you." Jack shook his head sharply and rubbed his face, before reaching out for Owen and Ianto, needing to touch them. Ianto was trembling, and Owen was holding himself so stiffly Jack was afraid he would break.

Owen pressed the back of his hand against his nose, swallowing convulsively. "I have never been so fucking happy to have been recruited by Jack, before now."

Ianto covered his face and leaned into the touch of the two other men. "How could they do that? How could anyone do something so horrific? To their own people? To their own employees? We fight aliens to protect the earth, but really we should be fighting earth to protect the rest of the universe. We're the monsters. Vile, disgusting monsters."

Jack didn't know how to answer, so he just hugged Ianto and Owen tighter.

Owen buried his face in Ianto's neck and hugged him tightly, as Ianto clung to both Sentinels. They stayed that way for several moments, silently holding on to each other.

Finally, it was Owen that spoke again, against Ianto's throat. "What's going to happen to us, Yan? There's no going back now, is there?"

"I don't know… I just. I don't know."


	29. Chapter 29

Jack, Owen and Ianto had gathered in Jack's office again after Gwen and Tosh had left. There was a take out pizza on the desk, half veggie, half sausage, and the rest of the hub was dark and quiet. Ianto and Owen were both sitting on the floor, while Jack was sprawled on the couch, picking the toppings off a slice of the pizza.

"Fuck!" Owen hissed, curling back into the couch, burying his face in his knees. His eyes were starting to pound, and the dim lights of the office were so bright he could barely see.

Ianto leaned forward and stroked his arm. "Are you okay?"

"Hate tests! My head is killing me!" Owen groaned.

Ianto sighed and put away the laser pointer they had been working with. "Well after what we've found out, it's not like we have much choice in the matter." Ianto ran a comforting hand across the back of Owen's neck. "I know it's uncomfortable, but you have to get used to brighter lights and turning down your sensitivity. If you have a problem in the hub, how are you ever going to manage outside? You're going to have these senses for the rest of your life, you need to learn to manage them."

Owen just made another pained noise, knowing that Ianto was right.

Jack gently rubbed Owen's shoulders, trying to relax him. "You're doing good Owen. And hey, at least you didn't get sick, so that's something right?"

Owen laughed. "Yeah I guess I'm lucky. My senses haven't made me bulimic, unlike some people."

"Sorry about that." Ianto apologized, with an embarrassed frown. "I didn't think adding something to your coffee would have that much of a reaction."

"Yeah well warn a guy next time." Jack said, grinning and popping a piece of sausage into his mouth.

Ianto gave a small nod, and continued to stroke Owen's arm. "I think you've had enough for tonight. Do you want me to get something for your headache?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Ianto got up and went to find something to make Owen feel better, dimming the lights as he went.

Jack continued to rub Owen's shoulders. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes. No. Maybe? I don't know, I guess I don't hate all this Sentinel shit that much, but the pain parts still really suck." Owen rolled his head, feeling the muscles in his back start to relax as his vision began to clear a little. "It's been a long day."

Owen caught Jack's reflection in the glass as he nodded. "Yeah I know. Those vid-" Jack stopped, and suddenly changed the topic. "We over slept, didn't even have time to work on Ianto's shields this morning."

Owen sighed and pulled his head up to rub his temples. "You should do that when he gets back. His shields still kind of suck. Shouldn't he be better at it by now?"

He was worried about the younger man. It was hard to remember sometimes that Ianto was dealing with so much more than either of them. He and Jack had a better deal of it, splitting the Sentinel aspect between the two of them. Ianto was having to shoulder the role of Guide all by himself. It wasn't fair to be frustrated at Ianto for not handling it as well.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. He's trying, it's just-"

"It's just that it feels like I'm underwater with my shields up," Ianto said as he came back into the office, holding a mug out to Owen. "And I can't tell when someone needs me." Ianto tugged on his ear, a habit that usually meant he wasn't comfortable, and gestured to the mug. "Drink that."

"What is that?" Owen sniffed it cautiously, diverging the topic back to safer ground.

"Herbal tea. White willow bark."

"No. Aspirin."

Ianto sighed. They had had this argument before, and Owen wondered when Ianto would give up.

"Sentinels don't react well to drugs." Ianto argues. "This will help."

"It tastes like crap, and it doesn't work! I want pills! Lab tested, scientific, pills!" It helped that they had actually tested the aspirin, finding it safe. He was not drinking soggy wood chip water if he could help it.

"You are such a wanker." Ianto told him and pulled a small bottle out of his pocket. Owen blinked at the insult, and grinned, taking the medicine gratefully.

"If you get sick, I_ will _laugh at you." Ianto threatened.

"Yeah, yeah." Owen didn't believe him. Ianto was a coddler, born and bred. Owen popped a pill, washing it down with the dregs of his cold coffee.

Jack turned to Ianto. "Okay your turn. We missed your practice this morning, but it's too important to skip, especially now. So get comfy and start to shield. I'm going to try purposely throwing some emotions at you."

Ianto placed the untouched mug of tea on the desk and dropped down to the floor, looking unsure. Trust the Welshman, with all his tests and tortures, to not like a dose of his own medicine.

"Can't it wait?" Ianto asked.

Jack shook his head. "No. It's just as important for you to learn how to use your shields as it is for us to learn how to use our senses. You've barely left the hub since this started. What's going to happen the next time you're in a crowd?"

Ianto sighed, but obediently closed his eyes

Sliding off the couch, Jack sat in front of him, while Owen grabbed a slice of pizza and took Jack's place.

Owen shifted closer to Ianto, resisting the urge to reach out and try to ground the younger man.

--

"Ready?"

Ianto shook his head. He knew it was hypocritical of him, but he hated when Jack decided to test him. It was nice to be able to drop his shields once the others had left. Even with only four sets of emotions to shield himself from, it was tiring at times, Today even more so. Emotions were thick in the air after their discovery, and Ianto was starting to feel the first twinges of exhaustion.

Frowning in concentration, he waited a full minute before looking up, seeing Jack through the filmy shields he had erected. He still wasn't sure why he was seeing it as a physical bubble, but he refused to let it freak him out any more than necessary.

"Ready." He said.

"So tell me," Jack said with a grin. "Who put the pop in the bop she bop?"

"What?" Ianto winced as a bolt of amusement hit him. It didn't hurt, Jack and Owen's feelings rarely did any more, but it was a shock, and his shields wavered.

Jack grinned. "Distracting you. You won't always be sitting in a office meditating, or concentrating when you need to shield."

Ianto sighed, recognizing his own lectures thrown back at him. "Right."

"What's the square root of eight hundred and forty one?"

"Twenty nine." Ianto said without a twitch, feeling a throb of anger against the back of his eyes.

"Is Pluto a planet?"

"No."

"Ha! Wrong, it was made a planet again in 2024."

"Well it's not a planet, _now_." Ianto grit his teeth against a strike of annoyance, not his own.

"If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy, come on baby let me know."

"That's not a question." Ianto grinned as he felt a push at his shields, but no emotion leaked through.

"It isn't?" Amusement again, and Ianto winced.

"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." Ianto swung his head to stare at Owen, as was nearly knocked over by a wave of lust from Jack.

Owen grinned looking pleased with him self, and Ianto quickly drug his shields back up.

Jack rolled his eyes. "I'm surrounded by Trekkie's. How much wood could a wood chuck, chuck if a wood chuck, could chuck wood?"

Ianto looked bewildered and shook his head, trying to shake off the urge to giggle as Jack got though his shields, with a hit of happiness. He tried to concentrate harder on keeping his shields up.

"What drugs do you put into the coffee?"

"None." Ianto smirked at Owen, managing to keep his shields up that time. He felt none of the annoyance on Owen's face.

"How big is a Krillian device explosion?" Jack asked.

"Uh, not big at all. It's a simple kitchen timer." A nudge against his shields again blocked.

"Why is the sky blue?" Owen asked.

"Well it has to do with the way light enter-" annoyance bit at Ianto, but faded easily when he acknowledged it.

"Have you ever done the nasty in the past-y?"

"Verily." Ianto smirked. "Though I must say sir, you watch too much TV." Ianto caught the anger being thrown at him, struggling briefly to push it down.

"Why won't you sleep with us?" Ianto's eyes widened, and a bolt of amusement barreled through his shields, slamming against the back of his skull.

"Where did you put my porn stash?" Owen demanded, and another wave of happiness swept over him

"Archive B, shelf 5, 'Personal effects'."

He squinted and reached up over his head for the tea mug. His own head was starting to hurt.

"Is fire hot?"

The hot tea sloshed out over Ianto's hand and he gasped as lust hit him from one direction, and guilt from another.

"Is water wet?"

Anger, Joy, Panic. Annoyance. Ianto's ears started too buzz, and he could feel his shields slipping.

"You don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?" Lust, again. Guilt. Anger. Ianto couldn't breathe.

A bolt of concern. "Do you find the most erotic part of the wom-" Nervousness.

Fear.

"STOP!" Ianto screamed and clutched his head, his shields slamming up as hard as they could go, He felt his mind pushing out violently at Jack and Owen, before he could stop him self.

He forced his eyes open, seeing only vague movement through the thick, iridescent shields, white noise rushed through his ears.

He watched as Owen dropped down off the couch holding his head, and Jack fell back on the floor, in slow motion, like shadow puppets seen through a fog.

He felt himself fall as well, the shield shattering as he hit the floor. He could see and hear clearly now. All three of them, lying on the floor, panting harshly.

Jack recovered first and leaned over Ianto, checking him out quickly. "Ianto? You still with us?"

Ianto took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly, focusing on Jack. "Yeah. That was a bit...rough."

Owen groaned and pushed him self up right. "Yeah you could say that."

Jack looked up, and then gave Owen an alarmed look. Ianto turned his head, focusing on the doctor.

"Owen," he said cautiously. "Your nose is bleeding."

Owen reached up and felt his nose and looked at a blood on his fingers. "Fuck."

Ianto scrambled to his knees, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, and knelt next to him rubbing his arm. "Oh god I'm sorry! Did I do that?"

"Possibly. Maybe." Jack said watching Owen pinch his nose closed.

Owen pulled the handkerchief away and checked again. "It's okay, it's stopped already. I don't think there's any major damage. Maybe I just whacked it when I fell."

Ianto kept stroking Owen's arm, trying to ignore the way his fingers shook. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out, it just happened."

Ianto bit his lip at the twin waves of concern, and concentrated on his shield until it was just a vague murmur in the back of his consciousness.

"It's okay Ianto. I'm not hurt."

"Do you want me to get a scanner to check, maybe?"

Owen shook his head, and probed his nose and cheeks with his fingertips. "I'll run a few scans in the morning. It feels okay. The headache's gone already."

Ianto looked at him, unconvinced. Still worried.

Owen grabbed the hand that was nervously petting his arm, and looked Ianto in the eye. "Yan, it's not your fault. We were hammering you, and you lashed out in self-defense. It's no different then if I got kicked in a karate class or something."

"But- I – I shouldn't have been able to-" Ianto was aware he was babbling. It was, in his opinion, the only sane thing to do in such a situation.

"Yan. Stop."

Ianto gave Owen a small smile as he felt a push of reassurance bump against his shields, seeping through the cracks. Owen was being ... insanely supportive and kind, and it helped. "I'm glad you're alright. Maybe we should all just..." he waved his hand vaguely towards the hole that led to the bedroom. He was done with tests for the night, worried what would happen if things went wrong again.

Jack stood, and then helped Ianto and Owen up. "You sure? If you're too tired maybe we should actually sleep tonight."

Ianto's eyebrow shot up. "You're offering to _not _have sex? Are you sure I didn't do some brain damage?"

"I just don't want to overwhelm you if you're too tired, and make you sick, then Owen will be out for my blood, in between coddling."

Owen swatted him, although the look on his face said Jack was right.

"It's been a fucking long day. We could just sleep." To his credit Owen very nearly managed to keep the disappointment out of his voice at the suggestion he made.

Ianto shook his head. "I'm alright. I'm not too tired. I'm getting better at that at least. I just … overloaded. Though I suppose, if you're not interested…" he said the last part teasingly, following the two men as they headed towards the bedroom.

Jack grinned as Owen climbed down the ladder, and then started down him self. "Good to know you're so eager to see us naked!"

"I could always change my mind you know! Maybe I suddenly feel a migraine coming on?" Even as he was saying that, he was already climbing down behind them, pulling up his shield around him like a cloak. He tried to push down a niggling sense of uneasiness, letting the bloody handkerchief fall on the floor beneath him.

This wasn't Star Wars, and Ianto refused to let any 'bad feelings about this' that he had get in the way of their life. And this was their life now wasn't it?

"Oi! We're waiting!" Owen called out playfully, and Ianto blinked, shaking his head as he realized that he had frozen hallway down the ladder, lost in thought.

"Keep your shirt on!" He called back, sliding past the rest of the rungs to land with a graceful thump on the floor of the small room, reaching out to snag his pillow from its usual place, piled next to Jack and Owen's.


	30. Chapter 30

Ianto ducked as Owen's shirt flew past his head, climbing awkwardly over the two to get to "his" corner. That, that was slightly weird. How many men out there sat in a corner and watched two men have sex before crawling, more often than not, over to sleep beside them? Well, probably quite a few, but it didn't make it any less weird. It was… unsettling.

Ianto closed his eyes, mind too busy to meditate and pulled up his shields, slowly and carefully, they were still a little shaky, until the room disappeared in a blur.

He woke up in the mornings, rested and relaxed, with two ex-lovers plastered against him, one to each side. He had tried to stay away, to give whatever Jack and Owen had a chance. They didn't seem so concerned, and in three weeks had managed to come up with a complete range of excuses to keep Ianto in their bed.

And now. Now, there was no convincing himself it was only temporary, that things would go back to normal, and Jack and Owen would be fine, and Ianto himself would go back home and sleep in a huge, empty, bed.

Now it was permanent. How long were they going to continue..this? Whatever _this_ was? Was there really no ending it, and was that what any of them really wanted anyway?

Ianto continued to let his mind run in circles until it tired out. He sighed and finally began to sink into mediation. He had just started to relax when something jostled his leg. He cracked open an eye in time to see Owen reach out and shake his leg again before the doctor turned his attention back to Jack.

Owen made an annoyed noise. "Jack? Yoo-hoo? Fuck. Ianto he zoned!"

Ianto reached across the small space and poked Jack in the side. He came back with a yelp and a shake of his head

"Zoned?" Jack asked, and then sighed. "Dammit. We didn't have any problems before! Why now?

Ianto shook his head. "I don't know. I think maybe we're all just under some stress. Yes Jack I know." Ianto rolled his eyes. " 'Orgasms are nature's stress relief' "

Owen snorted. Jack brought up that point often, usually in the most inappropriate situations.

Ianto retreated back into his corner; tucking his legs underneath him "Try again. See what happens."

Jack and Owen cautiously went back to what they had been doing, and Ianto went back to trying to ignore them both.

He chewed his lip. He couldn't lose him self totally in meditation if they were going to need him. He sighed and settled for focusing on his shields to make sure nothing leaked though.

His eyes drifted to the side and saw the black dog staring at him. It seemed to be a reflection, as if the brick were a mirror or glass. Which was fine with Ianto. There was hardly enough for the three men and a mattress in the little room, without taking imaginary animals into account. He continued to watch the dog watch him. It was giving him a look that Ianto knew well. On Ianto's own face it usually meant, "You are so stupid, it hurts me to be near you." Ianto had found it a useful expression when Owen broke out the Welsh jokes.

Jack voice intruded into the staring contest.

"Owen? Dammit! Ianto?" Ianto reached over and shook Owen lightly.

"Fuck!" Owen gasped. "How is this going to work if we zone every two minutes?"

The dog looked pointedly at Ianto and then jerked his head towards the other two men. Great. The dog was giving orders.

"Uh," Ianto rubbed his face, trying desperately not to sigh in annoyance, or blush like a schoolgirl. "Maybe it would work if I was closer?"

"You're two feet away, Yan! You can't get any closer without being on top of us!"

Ianto sighed and moved up to the head of the bed and rearranged him self, nudging Owen out of his way in the small space, he curled one leg up under him, the other stretched out. Once he was settled, he motioned Owen back into place.

Ianto reached out, circling his fingers around Owen's wrist, feeling one of Jack's hands come to rest lightly on his leg.

"Just, uh, try to keep in contact with me." he felt his ears heat up and closed his eyes, wincing slightly as his head thumped back against the wall. He tried desperately not to think about how close he was to the other two men.

Owen let out a laugh. "Jack seriously...he looks like he's laying back and thinking of Wales!"

"Being that I'm Welsh," Ianto said, keeping his eyes firmly shut. "Don't you two have anything better to do than stare at me?"

"You sure you don't want to…" Owen leaned forward, breath warm against Ianto's lips.

"Owen." Ianto warned. "Get to work"

"So romantic..." Jack muttered, but seemed to take his advice, distracting the doctor with a kiss.

Ianto tried to ignoring what they were doing, but it was rather hard, what with the noises and all, and Owen banging into him occasionally. Determined to distract himself, Ianto began toying with his shield. Jack had been right. He needed strong shields, and that would never work if he couldn't control them.

He tried carefully lowering his shield a hair to see if he could let feelings in without being over whelmed by them, and bit his lip, trying to keep from reacting as he got hit by a wave of lust, His eyes had opened in surprise, and he found himself staring at Jack, who despite being somewhat occupied was staring back.

"Ianto?" Jack asked. "Are you okay?" he spaced his words between kisses and bites to Owen's neck. "Your heart rate just spiked. It normally goes down around now."

Owen had turned by now, eyeing Ianto.

"Fine Jack." Ianto reassured, testing shields that had slammed shut out the surge of emotion. He closed his eyes again, and lowered the shields, concentrating on feeling the emotions, not reacting to them. It was hard. Twin jolts of lust hit him and he gasped.

Ianto's eyes snapped open when he felt a wave of concern, and saw Owen leaning over him, pressing his fingers against his throat. "Owen, what?"

"Jack's right, your pulse is really up."

"My shields slipped a little, it's nothing. Go back to what you were doing. It's okay." Ianto pushed his shields back up, at least until Jack and Owen were more distracted and wouldn't panic.

Owens hand lingered against his throat for a moment longer before falling away, and the feelings of lust, love, and excitement started to brush against Ianto's shields again.

He built them as thick as he dared, and in the silence he easily slipped into mediation.

---

Ianto again found him self in the woods, only this time alone. He took off at a run, looking for the dog. The dog had always been there before.

He stopped when he got to the familiar clearing and groaned. The dog was there, and the wolverine, and the pink...cat...thing. And they were…

Ianto sighed, quickly turning around. Honestly.

He had gotten used to seeing the wolverine and the cat's displays. It was like some twighlight zone nature special. He usually just ignored it and went for a run, or passed the time petting and playing with the dog. He had studied shamanism, read all the books out there about working with spirit animals, and not once had any of his resources warned him that there would be…porn.

Looked like the dog had other plans. Ianto shrugged and took off at a run again, loping off when he came to a new trail. After a few minutes the path circled back and he found himself in the clearing again.

He tried a second time, finding a new trail, but the results were the same. It wasn't fair. The woods were supposed to be a place where he could escape to, pretend he was normal for a little while without having to worry if Jack would wince at a sound he shouldn't be able to hear, or some smell in the depths of the hub would make Owen sick. He came here to forget that one wrong thought could have him on the floor.

He glared at the scene in front of him and decided to try to leave again, with the same results. The third time he went more slowly, studying the path, reassuring himself it was different than before. He ended up in the clearing again. He simply turned and left.

After the sixth time he admitted defeat. He was tired, and out of breath, a completely new experience in the forest. He was beyond frustrated, and felt like having a nice long scream. Just as he leaned against a tree to rest, at the opposite end of the clearing from the oblivious animals, he felt the sharp tug in his chest that signaled it was time to return to the real world.

Ianto attempted to ignore it, focusing in on the branches above his head, and the next tug yanked him off of his feet, and out of the woods.

He fell, slamming back into the real world with enough force to splinter his shields.

Ianto's eyes snapped open, too much, it was all too much. He felt Jack and Owen's emotions rolls over him like waves, Love, lust, passion, crashing against his own panic, fear, and doubt, tearing into him and setting his whole being on fire. He saw briefly, as everything grew far too bright, Jack and Owen, leaning over him.

His world shattered into a million brilliant pieces.


	31. Chapter 31

Jack threaded his fingers though Owen's hair, kissing him hard. He licked, kissed, and bit his way down Owen's throat, nipping at the rapid pulse. Owen smelled the arousal on him, and the scent of his own, rubbed off and lingering on Jack's skin.

At some point Owen had fallen, moved?, and his back rested against Ianto's chest. Owen was absently stroking Ianto's thigh to keep himself centered, marveling at the ease with which he could use his senses now. Jack was mirroring Owen's movements, sliding his hand down Ianto's leg.

Jack pulled Owen in for another kiss and Owen groaned into Jack's mouth. "Fuck yes, Jack. Want you!"

Jack laughed and pulled Owen up, before turning him around. Owen's hands shot out, trying to keep himself from falling, landing on either side of Ianto's hips. "Hello there." He said softly, as his lips brushed Ianto's ear, grinning at the other man's unresponsiveness. He wasn't quite sure what to think about Ianto being there, but not being… there. It would really be a hell of a lot less awkward if Ianto would just join the party.

Jack nipped at the back of Owen's neck, pulling Owen out of his thoughts.

"Hey, I'm still here you know." He reminded with another light nip, fingers trailing down Owen's sides, feeling ribs expand and contract, muscles twitch and jump, under his hands. He reached out, grabbing the tube of lube that had been wedged between the wall and the mattress.

"Really? Must've slipped my mind."

Jack nudged Owen until he was pressed flush against Ianto. "Make sure you focus on something, because if you zone right now I'm going to kill you... and possibly not stop." Jack warned.

"Oh you charmer you!" Owen laughed, pulling back far enough so that he could brace himself. His eyes drifted over Ianto's still, relaxed features, as Jack did unspeakably wonderful things to him.

Focus, he reminded him self. Ianto was off in la la land; it really would not be the best time to zone. He concentrated as Jack slid into him, breathing in Ianto's familiar scent, watching the slow pulse just under the surface. Jack began to thrust, rocking Owen against Ianto each time.

Jack's fingers dug into Owen's slender hips, leaving bruises, as he set a maddening pace. Too slow, then too fast, then stopping completely, before moving again.

Owen let out a loud, low groan. "Oh fucking hell Jack, stop torturing me, already! Please!"

Ianto's eyes popped open, gaze locking with Owen's as he sucked in a deep breath.

Jack bit down on Owen shoulder, hard, and Owen cursed, falling forward as he came, burying his face against Ianto's neck. Behind him Jack let out a strangled moan, thrusting once more before coming himself. Jack pulled out carefully and collapsed to one side.

Owen sighed tiredly against Ianto, feeling the racing of his heart gradually slow. He reached out, stroking Ianto's neck, frowning at the quick pulse he found there. He pressed his fingers to the pulse. Fast, pounding against his fingers like it was trying to escape. He pulled back, staring into Ianto's eyes filled with fear. As he watched the gaze became glassy and unfocused. "Jack!"

"His heart." Jack said quietly as he crawled up beside them. Owen nodded.

"Ianto, love?" Jack called, still using a quiet voice. He cupped Ianto's cheek. Ianto gasped, and Jack pulled his hand back as if he had been burned. Ianto's breathing became harsh and uneven as his chest heaved for air. His eyes remained glassy and unfocused as he struggled to breathe.

"Ianto!" Owen shook him sharply, not getting a reply. "Fuck. Ianto!"

"What happened" Jack demanded.

"I- I don't know, he looks like you do, when you zone, but your heart rate drops." Owen answered, watching as Jack frantically patted Ianto's cheeks trying to wake him up.

Jack turned to him, "He could see us. For just a second, but it was there. What do we do?"

"I don't know! Yan? Yan, come on, talk to me! Wake up and talk to me Ianto! I swear to god I will get out of this bed and touch your coffee pot if you don't wake up this minute!" There was no response, except for the harsh breathing.

"Ianto? You're really scaring us here, sweetheart." Jack began to stroke his fingers through Ianto's hair. "Please come back to us?" He tried closing Ianto's eyes. "Sweetheart? You're safe. It's okay to come back. Nothing is going to hurt you. Just wake up and yell at Owen for coming on your shirt, okay?"

Nothing was working. Ianto wasn't waking up and his heart rate if anything was rising, beating wildly against Owen's fingers. His lips were tinged a light blue, the panicked breaths not providing enough air.

Owen's eyes didn't leave Ianto . "Jack I'm scared. He's worse then before. He's worse when he was curled up in a ball of pain from our emotions. We need to fix this. He's going to have a heart attack, or damage the muscle or something." Owen had seen it plenty of times. Overdoses making a pit stop at A&E on their way to the morgue. Heart beating itself to death.

"Yan." He tried again. "Yan, please luv."

Jack groaned and bit his lip, leaning over Ianto, pressing his forehead against the younger man's. "Ianto please..."

Owen gasped as he felt himself begin to slide, he grabbed on to Ianto, and felt Jack's finger's dig into his arm. A brief flash of Jack's panicked eyes, the roaring sound of Ianto's too fast heart and he fell back into darkness.

---

Jack's eyes snapped open and he found him self holding on to Owen's arms, kneeling in a cold, dark forest. Ianto was gone.

"It's never looked like this before." Jack said quietly, looking around.

"Yeah." Owen staggered to his feet. "Ianto! Ianto get your arse back here!" Owen yelled into the quiet forest." Ianto I know you're here!"

Jack cocked an ear, but they were met with silence.

"How do we find him?" Jack asked. Owen had been here more often than he had. He knew the rules. Jack didn't even know where to start. He used Owen to pull himself to his feet. "Ianto!" he yelled.

"I don't know. The only things I've ever done here are run, or sit around with the animals. Come on." Owen took off at a run still holding on to Jack. "Keep a look out for the pets."

"Pets?"

"Yup. IANTO! Get out here dammit!"

They kept running for what felt to Jack like years, calling out occasionally for Ianto. There was no sound, no hide, hair, or tentacle of the creatures they had been seeing. Most importantly there was no Ianto.

They came to a fork in the path and Owen tugged him to the left, not slowing down. "This way."

The followed the path until it came to a clearing, and Jack froze. Owen did the same with a quiet 'Fuck.'

A huge, beautiful black dog lay in front of them, sides heaving, and whimpering in pain. Owen moved forward, but Jack grabbed him and held him back, fighting his own urge to do...something. Anything. He knew somehow that it would be exactly the wrong thing to do.

"Jack!" Owen protested. "That's Ianto's dog. The one he's always seeing. It's hurt Jack we need to-"

"No." Jack tightened his grip, pointing to the far end of the clearing. Two other animals had arrived. A small, ferocious wolverine, and a large pink swamp lion, its vivid purple tentacles tucked close to its body and its ears laid back.

"What the _fuck_, Jack?"

Jack and Owen watched as the two creatures approached the struggling dog. The swamp lion nudged it gently, sweeping a careful tentacle over its side in a strangely gentle petting motion. It stepped over him, eying Jack and Owen warily; one tentacle straying back, continuing to pet and soothe. The wolverine simply ignored the two men. Nuzzling and rubbing against the dog as it panted.

Jack felt as time had stopped and sped up all at once as he watched the scene, letting a breath of his own as the dog seemed to calm down, no longer whimpering. Still far too still, chest barely rising.

"Again." Owen said quietly, and Jack flicked his eyes over to see the other man staring at the three animals. "What the fuck?"

Before Jack could answer, the animals began to waver and morph as the forest darkened, becoming more human and familiar. Jack felt a sharp tug in his chest, and just before the scene faded entirely he saw another version of himself staring back from where the cat had stood. Ianto was lying on the ground, still and pale, like the dog had been just a moment before Owen, another Owen, kneeling in the wolverine's place, his hand on Ianto's chest, completely focused on the younger man.

Jack slid into the darkness.


	32. Chapter 32

Jack bit back a surge of nausea as he opened his eyes. They were back in the bedroom, had they ever left?, Ianto's heartbeat was hammering in his ears, his gasps for air bouncing off of the low ceiling.

"I know what do Jack." Owen said softly, the fear and panic of before missing.

Jack watched as Owen leaned forward, threading his fingers through Ianto's hair and leaning down to his ear. "Ianto. Listen to me, Yan. We love you. It's okay. Come back to us." he ran his hands comfortingly over Ianto's arms and his heaving chest.

Jack followed Owen's example. "Ianto? Love, please come back to us. We love you and we're scared and alone." The truth of the statement bit into him.

"We need you. We love you and we need you to come back to us." He gently slid has arm under Ianto and pulled the struggling man gently so that he was leaning against him. He ran his hands over Ianto's body, hearing focused on Ianto's heart, still racing faster then he thought was possible, like something out of a horror movie.

Owen continued to murmur quietly into Ianto's ear. Hands joining Jack's.

"Yan, please come back, we'll take care of you, I promise."

Slowly, far too slowly, Ianto's eyes opened again. He panted harshly and tried to pull away, but Jack held him, still running his fingers down his arm.

"Oh thank god." Owen breathed, and made soothing noises as he pressed his fingers against Ianto's throat again. "Pulse still way, way over trip to A&E time, but coming down. Ianto? Are you back with us, Luv? Do you know what happened?"

"I- uh I...my shields?" Ianto panted, short of breath and confused.

Owen kept petting him with one hand, while checking his pulse with the other. "It's okay, no problem. Just take slow deep breaths okay? Your heart rate is still really scaring me. Remember how Tosh taught you?"

Ianto nodded and tried to slow his breathing down. "Uh, what happened?"

"We're not sure. We were having sex, then suddenly your heart was racing and your eyes were open, but you were zoned."

Ianto frowned. "Then what?"

"We tried to wake you up, but nothing was working. Your heart rate and breathing were all over the place. Then suddenly we were in a forest," Jack shifted, leaning against a wall and pulling Ianto more firmly into his arms. Ianto sank against his chest, closing his eyes.

"It was darker than before. We ran for a while calling for you, then we found a clearing where a boeian swamp lion-"

"The pink kitty?" Ianto interrupted. Snickering softly.

"The swamp lion. The swamp lion and wolverine were comforting a black dog. Then- " Jack paused, trying to figure out how to explain it. "They - they changed into us… other versions of us." He curled a lock of Ianto's hair around his fingers. "Oh Yan, you were so still."

Owen pushed him self to his knees, and paused when Ianto's hand clamped down on his arm. "It's okay, Yan, I'm just going to grab my kit so I can check you out. I'll be right back."

"Stay." Ianto pleaded, turning to face Owen as he opened his eyes again.

"I need to make sure you're okay, luv. I'll be right back." Owen was looking worriedly at Jack. He stroked Ianto's cheek lightly. "I promise. I have a kit at my desk." Owen reassured the younger man, waiting for his permission to leave.

After a moment Ianto nodded, reached up with the hand not grasping Owen's arm, and pulled him into a short, desperate kiss.

"Hurry." He demanded breathlessly.

"Hurry," Owen agreed, dropping a quick, gentle kiss on Ianto's lips. He pushed himself to his feet and dashed up the ladder, bypassing the pile of clothes completely.

As soon as Ianto lost sight of Owen he began to shiver and Jack hugged him tighter. "It's ok, every thing's going to be ok."

Ianto looked weaker then a newborn kitten, but still twisted around in Jack's arms to kiss him. Jack could taste fear and relief and Owen all mingling on the younger man's lips. Jack gently threaded his hands though Ianto's hair, returning the kiss softly, then hugged him to his chest when Ianto collapsed against him. Ianto struggled to breathe, panting harshly against Jack's neck.

Owen was back in less then a minute and climbing back down, med kit slung over shoulder. He knelt down beside Ianto, reaching out to touch him.

"Okay here we go, deep breaths for me okay?" Owen kept one hand on Ianto's chest. The younger man was still having difficulty catching his breath.

"Relax. Breathe. Uh imagine the scent of lavender...or something." Owen dug a scanner out of the kit and started to sweep it over Ianto's body, keeping up a running babble. Jack pushed feeling of warmth, safety and love towards Ianto.

Ianto snorted in laughter. "Gotta stop...watching children's movies... Coc oen."

"I thought it was the porn version! ...and then I was too lazy to go back to the rental place." Owen gave Ianto a grin.

Jack had no idea what they were talking about, but Ianto's heart rate was coming down and the tense body in his arms was relaxing, so he ignored it. After a minute Ianto took a deep breath, curling into Jack as he yawned. He continued the conversation.

"Likely story. You were tearing up. I saw you."

"Oh shut up you."

"Sorry. Sorry. I know how _sensitive _you are. I wouldn't want to make you cry… again." Ianto apologized teasingly, his breaths coming easier now.

"You're obnoxious." Owen decided.

"And you're not?"

Jack was amused, but wanted to know how Ianto was doing. "Find anything?"

Owen shook his head. "Everything looks good. I'm not seeing any signs of damage to his heart, or from lack of oxygen. Heart rate is down, still too high but closer to normal."

"I'm okay?" Ianto asked, unsure.

"I want to get you upstairs and run some more detailed scans later, but it looks like it. You seem to have amazing luck at avoiding permanent damage to your self." Owen said putting down the scanner and grabbing his stethoscope to listen to Ianto's heart. "But you're body's going to be screaming for some rest and recuperation"

While Owen worked, Jack continued to hold on to Ianto, rubbing small soothing circles on his arms and stomach. Exhaustion was radiating from the younger man. "Can you tell us what happened now?"

"I- well I was shielding and was testing them a little to see if I could lower them a tiny bit, not all the way, and put them back up, then I was in the forest and" Ianto struggled with the explanation. "...I don't know. My heart feels like it's going to explode and I can't breathe. Then there was this...tug...and I just felt… everything, like...like a riptide pulling me under...and then you two, so worried."

Owen stroked Ianto's face gently as he listened, then pulled his stethoscope off. "We're still worried. Can you breathe now?"

Ianto nodded, and reached out for Owen, pulling him in. Owen laughed softly, settling against Ianto and wrapping his arms around the younger man. Jack shifted, and snaked his own arm around Owen, holding on to both of them.

Owen dropped a light kiss on Ianto's shoulder.

"Sleep then Yan. We'll take care of you."


	33. Chapter 33

Tosh frowned as she came into the hub. It was dark and quiet, except for Myfanwy chattering loudly in her artificial cave. The tourist's office had been even emptier. Ianto was always up top to greet her, and Jack, and lately Owen, were always lazing about the hub somewhere, even this early in the morning.

"Jack? Ianto? Owen? Anyone?" She called into the air, then tapped her comm., and repeated their names. No answer.

Tosh checked the computer again. No sign of rift activity, no breaches in security. She checked the CCTV footage and found no sign of any of them in the hub since last night. A quick glance at the coffee pot showed it gleaming and unused.

She tapped her fingers on the desk chewing on her lip. They'd been a bit behind schedule yesterday...maybe they were still asleep?

Tosh entered Jack's office and nervously knelt down next to the hatch. She'd never been in the room before, hadn't even really tried to look. But that's where they had been staying. Even Ianto, though he refused to admit. When the subject came up he would just develop a coughing fit and excuse himself from the conversation.

She braced herself a pulled the heavy hatch open slowly, peering in.

It was less spacious than she had thought, a large mattress taking up nearly all of the space. Jack was sitting at the edge of the bed, one leg thrown across the mattress like a gate, guarding the two other men. Ianto was curled around Owen, fingers clutching his shirt, as he slept and Owen was idly running a hand over Ianto's side, completely focused on the other man. They all looked ragged, like they hadn't slept in a week, or in Ianto's case a month.

Owen, glanced up briefly, but ignored the opening door. Jack's head jerked up and he put a warning finger to his lips, telling Tosh to stay quiet, before exchanging a look with Owen and silently climbing up the ladder. Owen shifted, sitting up a little straighter, and pulling up his leg to better shield Ianto from the hatch.

"Jack? What's going on? Is Ianto's sick?" Tosh questioned, quietly, as Jack positioned himself between her and the opened door.

"He's good. Something happened last night. Ianto had a... episode, and the three of us are taking the day off. Not leaving the room unless the world's ending." He winced and rubbed his ear, as the pterodactyl shrieked. "Crap forgot about Myfanwy and the weevils..."

"Don't worry I'll get them. Is Ianto going to be okay?"

Jack nodded, unconsciously edging back towards the room beneath them. "We think so, but we just really need some alone time."

Tosh crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't give me that. What happened? Did he have another zone? Something else? What? Ianto's my friend, I want to know what's going on with him."

"I don't even know where to start."

"The beginning?" Tosh suggested with a quirk of eyebrow.

Jack sighed and rubbed his face. "Okay. So we were working on or senses, Owen was getting a migraine, then we were started on Ianto's shields, he puffer fished us-"

"Wait. What?"

"Oh um, well we kind of over whelmed him, and he lashed out at us. Like how a puffer fish blows up if you poke it? Only…he lashed out with his mind, knocked all three of us flat on our backs. Owen got a nosebleed. Crap that reminds me we should scan him later too... for your own health, try to avoid throwing a lot of emotions at Ianto. The whole puffer fish thing hurts like a bitch."

Tosh stared.

Jack seemed to realize he had gotten off topic and shook his head tiredly. "Then while he was meditating, Owen and I were…" he paused trying to think of a good word.

Tosh tried to fight back a grin, despite herself.

Jack gave her a slight smirk in return. "Yeah. Then suddenly his heart rate shoots though the roof and he's hyperventilating. His eyes are open and blank, and he's...gone. We tried to wake him up. We talked to him, we begged, we pleaded, we threatened the coffee pot. Nothing worked, and Owen was sure he was going to give himself a heart attack."

He stopped, glancing down into his room. He had situated himself, unconsciously Tosh supposed, so that she couldn't look in. After a minute he looked up again.

"Then suddenly we were... sucked into his meditation and...okay I can't even say what the hell happened in there, but we figured out what to do, came back, and managed to wake Ianto up."

"But he's okay. He's not…?" Tosh insisted.

"Just sleeping."

"What about you?"

"We're exhausted," Jack admitted. "He really scared the shit out of both us this time and we've been up all night, just watching him, and- and petting him." Jack flashed her a guilty grin. "Is that enough information for now?"

"For now." Tosh gave Jack a small supportive smile. "You get back down there then. Do you want me to order breakfast?"

"Yeah thanks that'd be great. You're a lifesaver Tosh. Don't know what we'd do without you."

Tosh grinned. "Oh I don't know, cry like little girls when you can't fix the computers? Drag your butts out of bed to get your own food? Go on. Go take care of Ianto. Gwen and I will handle things, and call you if anything huge and world ending comes up."

Jack laughed softly. "Thank you. Really."

He descended the ladder again, and Tosh stepped forward to close the door after him, watching as Jack crawled up the bed. He spoke to Owen briefly, and curled up beside the two men. Owen glanced up with a look of thanks, mixed with something else, maybe acceptance? Tosh smiled and closed the door the rest of the way.

She couldn't quiet wrap her head around their relationship, but the three of them seemed happy together, and they were doing an amazing job at keeping each other sane. She left the office quietly, already creating a list of things that needed to be done.

Myfanwy first. She needed to be fed before she tore into the coffee beans again. The weevils were probably staging a riot, good thing she wasn't squeamish around meat any longer. She wasn't really sure how Ianto managed, though she suspected he did the job purely to have something to guilt Jack with when he wanted something.

Breakfast for the team last, and Ianto had instructions for the coffee maker taped to the wall behind the cart.

Of course, Gwen would have to be warned away from the office too, before she came in. Lots to do.

Tosh smiled as she made her way to the upper reaches of the hub where the pterodactyl's food was kept. She had a feeling that everything would be okay.


	34. Chapter 34

Ianto was comfortable, curled into a warm hard body, relaxed and totally at peace. He did not; in anyway, feel like moving, ever again.

Unfortunately, Jack and Owen didn't seem to agree with him.

"Oi! Come on! Get your arse up!" Cold hands skittered across his bare feet and Ianto jerked, reflexively kicking out.

"We've held off breakfast till 2pm for you, time to get up and eat something!" Jack said, and then let out a deep breath, jarring Ianto's head where it rested against his chest.

Ianto grumbled as his pillow moved and nuzzled further into Jack's body, pulling the blanket over his head.

Owen laughed and pulled the blanket down. "Jack he's stealing my job! I'm the one who sleeps late."

"Does that mean you're going to start wearing suits? Working in the archives?"

Ianto cracked open an eye to glare at Owen. "You stay away from there. I still haven't fixed all the damage you did rifling though there looking up the Deviled Egg."

"Then you better wake up, and stop stealing his job as official sleeper inner." Jack told him tickling his sides.

Ianto came fully awake with a squawk and fell away from Jack. "I sleep in one day... wait. Did you say two? Two pm! You let me sleep until… Are you insane? Do you realize how many things I have to do? Oh god...Myfanwy'll have eaten half the hub by now!"

Ianto scrambled for the ladder frantically, but Owen snagged him by the back of the large white shirt that Ianto couldn't quite remember putting on, and yanked him back.

"Hey! Watch the shirt!" Jack objected while Owen switched his grip, slipping his arms around Ianto's waist.

"Shh, shh, Calm down. It's fine!" Owen pulled Ianto back down to the mattress. "Tosh took care of everything this morning. Myfanwy and the weevils, all of us. We're all fed. Relax."

Owen waited until the younger man stopped moving before handing him over to Jack, and grabbing a takeout container from the foot of the bed,

"Here, we got you some food. You need to eat something, after everything that happened yesterday."

Ianto looked back at the ladder. "Everything's fine?" he asked again, unsure.

"Yup." Owen nodded, putting the container in Ianto's lap, and opening it up to reveal pancakes and enough fruit for a small army. "Dig in."

Ianto obediently picked up a berry, popping it into his mouth.

"Why am I wearing Jack's clothes?"

"Well, er..."

Ianto felt a flash of memory, Jack, sounding scared, telling him to wake up and yell at Owen for…

"You didn't!" Ianto accused with a laugh.

Owen shrugged, reaching out to snag a chunk of banana.

Ianto picked out an orange slice, handing it to Jack. . "So...what have you all been doing while I was asleep?"

"Gwen and Tosh were working, we were here." Jack said, shifting so he could reach the plate of fruit more easily.

"...since last night? What...14 hours?"

"Well okay we took turns going to the bathroom, but yeah, otherwise we stayed here."

"Why?" Ianto was bewildered, why they would spend all night and morning, trapped in this tiny little room with him? They couldn't have been sleeping the entire time.

"Because we love you, and were worried about you." Jack said gently, running his hand though Ianto's hair.

Ianto opened his mouth then closed it blushing, as he felt the wave of love coming from both men. It was undeniable. It wasn't lust, it wasn't like, it wasn't friendly, it wasn't anything but pure love and affection. _For him._

He sucked in a sharp breath, not knowing what to say. So he didn't say anything. He just moved the container to the side carefully, and twisted, grabbing Jack, and pulling him into a kiss, trying to tell him what he couldn't put into words.

When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard, and Jack had a huge grin on his face. "I love you." he whispered, and Jack's grin grew even larger.

Ianto blinked sharply against the suddenly intense lust in the air. He glanced over and had to grin. Owen was breathing as hard as he and Jack were.

He leaned in, capturing Owen's mouth, hand reaching up to tangle in Owen's hair as Ianto kissed him, really kissed him, for the first time in months.

Owen moaned, reluctantly pushing him away. "You- you are _bad._ Very bad. You're-" Owen gulped and shivered, looking like he was trying to force him self to be professional. "You're supposed to be resting. You nearly had a heart attack last night. And I still want to take you upstairs and check you out better after you eat. So...eat up... and behave."

Ianto laughed, leaning back against Jack's chest. "Oh god, he's telling _me _to behave! Are you feeling alright, Owen?" Ianto paused then frowned. "_Are_ you? Did you run those scans on your self? I didn't hurt you last night, did I?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "Yes I scanned my self. I'm fine. No signs of any damage. Now it's your turn after you get some food into you, so finish your breakfast. We don't need you passing out from low blood sugar on top of everything else." Owen ran a hand up and down Ianto's arm as he spoke.

"I feel...good. Really, really...good. Better then I can remember feeling in a very long time." Ianto said quietly, studying the pattern on his blanket for a minute. He looked up and looked Owen in the eye. "I love you too. Both of you. I haven't felt this way in a very long time. And it's- to be honest, it's terrifying."

Ianto rubbed the back of his neck. "My last few attempts at relationships haven't worked out so well..."

Owen put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in, gently knocking their foreheads together. Jack leaned in, laying a light kiss on the sensitive patch behind Ianto's ear.

"Do I have to remind you," Owen said with a grin, pulling back, and turning his attention back to breakfast. He held up a strawberry for Ianto. "That you dumped _us_?"

"Shut up Owen." Ianto said, taking the berry from his fingers with a swirl of tongue and a wicked grin.


	35. Chapter 35

"Why the fuck do those wankers with the cameras keep following us everywhere?" Owen snarled as he glanced though the rear window of the SUV, at the car following them.

Ianto sighed, keeping his eyes on the road, ignoring the small camera bobbing in front of his face. It wasn't the rift this time. Just an alien ship making a stopover. An alien ship piloted by an escaped convict and followed by some form of COPS, complete with tiny, floating, annoying cameras.

"They're only here until we capture the alien. Then they'll leave, and take their cameras with them." The alien had been responsible for a string of robberies since setting down on earth, more than a few frantic calls to the police, and apparently now a kidnapping.

"I don't fucking like it! They're all over you all the time!" Owen snarled, batting at the small floating orb that was hovering over Ianto's shoulder. It dodged to avoid him, and made what Ianto would have classified a rude sound, if the camera had been sentient.

Jack grinned, and added his two cents from his unusual spot in the back seat. "They think Ianto's pretty! And I have to agree. He is easy on the eyes." Ianto glanced back at the captain. He had though the man would be slightly more put out at not being the center of attention, but he seemed to be enjoying the fact that they had taken an unnatural amount of interest in Ianto Jones, teaboy and Guide.

"Well he's taken! They should keep their bloody eyes and cameras to them selves!" Owen looked ready to try to kill the camera again, so Ianto reached over and put a calming hand on his arm.

"It's only a couple more days, Owen. And they're paying us quite well for appearing on the show." It was the only reason that Ianto had even agreed in the first place. They had been offered a whole host of new technology, including several of the orb-cams. At the time, it had seemed a good trade.

Owen growled low in his throat and glared at the camera, which zoomed in on Ianto with a whir of lenses.

Gwen and Tosh ducked at the camera nearly hit them as it dodged a swat from Ianto. "This is getting a bit...intrusive don't you think?"

"I know, I know..." Ianto gave a long-suffering sigh. The camera hovered behind Jack, apparently realizing it was safe there, and continued to film, giving them a moment of peace.

"Here!" Tosh yelled, looking up from the computer screen, where she had been tracking the convict's monitoring device. It wasn't a very good one, which made Ianto worry about the quality of technology they would be getting, but it narrowed the range.

Ianto slammed on the breaks slightly harder than necessary, grinning as the camera flew past him to smack into the windscreen. He jumped out of the SUV, quickly followed by his teammates, and locking the doors quickly before the stunned camera could follow.

It made a noise that sounded like an objection and tapped at the glass, before floating down to sit on the driver's seat. Ianto got the distinct impression it was sulking.

Jack ignored the camera. "Gwen, Tosh, go that way, we'll go this way. Call if you see any signs of the alien." Jack said, pointing. They all moved off, managing to get out of sight before the camera crew caught up with them.

Ianto had his gun at the ready, trailing Jack and Owen as they made their way down a dark side street.

Owen paused and tilted his head, sniffing the air. "Blood. A lot of it."

Jack closed his eyes, and Ianto's hand automatically went to his back to ground him. "There's a heartbeat. One human, really fast, one alien, it's beating…differently? Victim's still alive. Half a block I'd say. This way." Jack tapped his Bluetooth to alert Gwen and Tosh to their location, already moving.

From the corner of his eye Ianto saw a pink tail disappearing into an alley, one long purple tentacle trailing behind. Ianto stopped, as the tentacle reappeared around the corner, the very tip crooking. He grabbed Jack's elbow. "They're in there."

They turned into the alley. Owen spotted the alien, and fired, jerking it back from its intended victim. Jack and Ianto covered him as he moved to check on the unconscious woman. "Ouch. Gonna need a lot of stitches, but nothing A&E can't handle. Vitals are stable, pulse is high but within acceptable ranges, breathing good, blood loss isn't too horrible, pupils are equal and reactive. She should be fine." Owen was putting pressure on one of the deeper gouges, talking mostly to himself.

A wave of outrage hit Ianto and he spun, lifting his gun on the alien who had started to stir. "Not dead!" he warned, keeping his gun pointed at the scaly head.

Jack turned and squatted down by the alien, checking him quickly for weapons and injuries. "Bullet wound doesn't look fatal." Jack sounded almost disappointed.

"Bloody wonderful, we have to lug the thing back to the hub so I can treat it, before we lock it up." Owen groused as Gwen and Tosh arrived at a dead run, guns drawn.

"Gwen get the SUV, and get some restraints. Tosh, go with her and get the first aid kit." Jack ordered, tossing a glance at the injured woman.

Both woman nodded and took off again while Ianto and Jack kept an eye on the scene.

"Wouldn't have this problem if they could keep their intergalactic scum to their selves for once."

Ianto holstered his gun, and stepped forward, stroking the back Owen's neck soothingly. "It's alright, Owen. We stopped him before anyone died."

"Yeah, yeah."

Ianto smiled. The anger and tension Owen had been broadcasting was slowly dissipating.

"We'll just have to-"

A loud happy squeal sounded from the mouth of the alley, and Ianto ducked as the camera barreled towards him.

"Sorry. It snuck out." Tosh apologized, following the camera and holding up the kit as a peace offering.

Owen took the offered first aid kit from Tosh, and started doing a quick patch up job while Jack slapped a bandage sloppily on the alien, and got him cuffed and into the back.

"We'll drop her off at A&E on the way back." Jack said helping Owen pick her up and get her into the SUV. Within moments both new passengers were secured and the alley was back to its original state.

Ianto felt a ripple of amusement from Tosh as the camera circled him, looking for a heroic angle.

"Oh yes, Tosh. Enjoy your self. Just wait until one of these things attaches it's self to you" He rolled his eyes, shoving the keys into the ignition before sliding into the passenger seat.

"It's like it's a baby chick, and you're it's mum. We'll see if you're laughing then." Ianto warned, his own amusement tingling his threat.

The camera chirruped as Owen growled and swatted it away from Ianto's face. Jack grabbed it as it flew past, and shoved it underneath the seat.

"He's never going to let you in the bedroom if you annoy him" Jack scolded the camera playfully.

"Jack!" Ianto protested, ears burning as Owen leered and the rest of the team laughed. He glanced at the clock embedded in the dash, wondering if it would be too early to put a nip of bailey's into the coffee when they got back.

- - -  
(epilogue)

Owen popped up behind Ianto, as he made the coffee, and wrapped his arms around his waist, burying his face in Ianto's neck, inhaling deeply.

Ianto laughed, but didn't pull away. "Aren't you supposed to be finishing up your paperwork before we started practicing?"

"Finished. Mmm what are you wearing? You smell good enough to eat." Owen continued to sniff at Ianto neck. Cinnamon, and the last traces of cologne, and…

Ianto snorted. "I think that's the coffee."

"No. I smell that all the time. It's you." Owen had moved past sniffing and was kissing Ianto's neck.

Ianto shivered and shook him self. He took a step backwards, bumping his head on his floating, slightly dented, shadow. Jack had decided to keep the orbit cam, muttering something about artificial intelligence, and 'cute'. He had named it, of all things, OC.

"Owen! Not now. Practice first. Lord I swear you're worse now then before."

Owen pouted. "But I don't want to wait. I want you now." Owen sidled closer, running his hands up under Ianto's shirt. "Quickie before practice time?"

Ianto laughed and gave him a light shove. "Go on, you. Get in Jack's office. I'll be in with the coffee in a minute, and after we finish, _then_ you can have your wicked way with me."

Owen sighed and stepped away from the coffee area, walking towards Jack's office.

Jack looked up from the computer. "Didn't work?"

"Nope." Owen flopped down on the couch with a sigh.

"Damn...so close..."

Ianto stepped into the office carrying a tray, and a bag of Sentinel training supplies. "I know what you were trying to do, and for the hundredth time, No. OC is not filming us having sex!"

"Awww...but, but floating camera! High Definition! It'd be the best porn ever!"

Ianto looked slightly horrified. "No! OC shoo! Go play in the hub, we have work to do." Ianto ordered while he set the tray down. The camera seemed to sulk and made a whining noise, nudging Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto sighed. "You're not being punished, but you know Owen and Jack will never be able to concentrate with you distracting them."

The camera nodded sadly and zipped out

Ianto closed the door and turned to look at Jack and Owen, laughing at their exaggerated pouts.

"Oh look at you two. You'd never know I was the youngest one here would you? Children, the both of you." He kissed them both briefly then settled down on the floor. "Okay Jack first. Come on down here. We're going to work on taste tonight"

Jack slid down onto the floor with a sigh, stretching his legs out in front of him. "It's the poisoned coffee again isn't? It's always the "mystery" additive that makes me run screaming. Where's a nice kinky fun test, when you need it, huh?"

Ianto pulled a bottle of chocolate syrup out of the bag and moved towards Jack, straddling his thighs, wearing what Owen could only classify as a truly filthy grin.

"A kinky, fun test?" Ianto asked. "Hmm. You don't say…"

The End.

Obligatory Authors' Notes:

'Thanks so much guys! The feedback has been incredible! And don't worry. The Sentinel Universe is alive and strong, with sequels on the way. –Qualli

Thanks to all our reviewers! You guys rock, and have had us squeeing all the way though! Keep your eyes open for the coming sequels! Hope you love them as much as you've loved this first one! -Dru


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